A second chance (Human SansxReader)
by Blackrosetta13
Summary: Genocide. It wasn't your choice, but the monsters didn't know that. Back then you had always been an angry kid, and Sans had figured it was only a matter of time. Now 8 years have passed and it's the anniversary of your friends deaths, a horrific accident. Or so you thought. Now as you work to solve a mystery, the monsters are back, and you have to prove that you deserve a chance.
1. A reunion nobody wanted but it happened

You ran a brush through your long black hair and stared at your reflection in the mirror. It had been so long since you dyed your hair, you had almost forgotten it's natural color, but that was okay. You thought you looked better this way. You turned around, using the mirror to check out your new dress. It was lolita-like, mostly black with ruffled white cuffs and a high white collar, the ruffled skirt reaching just above the knee. Your best friend Natasha said it made her think of a pilgrim girl dress, but in a Gothic way, and you both really liked it. Making sure to correct your foundation and checking that your eyeliner was on point, you finished applying your lipstick before grabbing a large black sun hat and heading out to school, coffin bag and parasol in hand. You dressed this way daily, however, today was a...special occasion. Today was the second anniversary of your friends' deaths. Anna, Morgan, Jasper, Brittany, and Dawn. They died in a fire during the annual finals scream fest,where almost every student gathered at a bonfire in the football field a day before finals and screamed bloody murder to ease the stress. Only that year there had been an accident. The fire spread and got the locker room where your friends had been hanging out. Due to an arguement a few days earlier, you had been avoiding them.

You regretted it so much.

Outside, your best friend Natasha Hillins was waiting for you. She was a perky African American girl, who's favorite color was pink. She had only befriended you two years ago, and in fact until your friends deaths she had been a bit of a bully. But seeing you all alone stirred something in Natasha, and well, as someone once told you, _anyone could be good if they just tried._ You'd been inseparable since. Turns out Natasha had only been a bully because her parents had wanted her to be...snooty. Like any rich kid. But now Natasha was rebelling. "Hey girl~ Anybody tell you you're lookin' fine?" She teased, linking arms with you. You giggled, rolling your eyes. "You ALWAYS say I look fine." "Because you do, duh. You rock the goth look." She smiled more but then gave you a concerned look. "Anywhore, how are you feeling? You holding up okay?" You remained silent for a moment before finally just shrugging. "I dunno. I didn't get any sleep last night. It's a miracle what concealer can hide." "For real." Natasha sighed and hugged you gently, keeping her arm wrapped around your shoulder as you both walked. You smiled and did the same to her. "So, on a brighter note. Got a date for prom yet?" You asked. Natasha rolled her eyes. "Ugh, no. All the guys here are fuckin' lame. Chicks too. I mean, I'm PRETTY SURE I'm bisexual but it's hard to tell when almost every other girl at this school is either only platonic material, or a straight up bitch." You snorted in laughter and she gently jabbed your side. "What about you, huh?" "Nope. I haven't even liked anyone since you-know-who." Natasha nodded, understanding. "Ah yes, the dark lord. Completely understandable...he was a god damn asshole. I mean, I know we shouldn't speak ill of the dead buuuuut...seriously, fuck that guy." This made you laugh again. Thank god for Natasha, and her brother Nathan, you would have gone crazy without them. "Here's another question. Why are we WALKING to school?" Natasha frowned now and you rolled your eyes. "Because Moon Moon was having engine troubles, so I had to take it to get repaired." "God dammit Moon Moon!" She groaned, throwing her hands up in the air. "Yeah, why the heck do you think I named my car MOON MOON."

As you two continued down the street, only about a block away from the school, you noticed two guys walking on the opposite side of the street, clearly brothers. One wore a white T-shirt with long black sleeves, showing of his stomach, along with blue jean shorts, white high socks red sneakers, and finishing it off with a red scarf. He was actually pretty attractive, but it was the other who caught your attention. He was short, only reaching his brothers hips, which meant he would only reach your chest. He wore a zipped blue hoodie and black sweatpants with pink high top sneakers. Both had blond hair, but the taller brother had brown eyes while the shorter had blue. There was something eerily familiar about them. "Wowie brother!" You heard the taller one say. "Do I feel great! Let's step quick! I want to get our first day of school started ASAP!" "You got it bro." The smaller one replied with a sort of Bronx accent. So you were right, they were brothers. "(Y/N)? Hey!" Natasha shook you gently and her shouting caught the smaller ones attention. He glanced at you with those piercing blue eyes. You quickly looked away. "Sorry.." "Guuuurl, you eyeing the new guys?" She wiggled her brows at you and you flushed, shoving her arm gently. "Whatever! Let's just get to school." Natasha snickered and laughed as you grabbed her arm, dragging her away so you could get away from those boys. Sure, they were cute, ESPECIALLY the short one, but something about them gave you bad vibes. ESPECIALLY the short one. You reached Addison high in about ten minutes and walked onto campus, ignoring the stares you got. They weren't staring at you for you clothes, these were normal for you. No, they stared out of pity. Even the freshmen knew about the accident. "Let's get to our lockers. This pack is killing my arm. Damn this math text book." You nodded and followed Natasha into the hallway where all the lockers were. Weirdly, you found your locker being blocked by Hazel Strip, a gorgeous red headed girl who had...an unfortunate habit of making poor company choices. "Hey...hey (Y/N)." She greeted you a little awkwardly, adjusting her blue turtle neck. "I just wanted to see how you were doing.." "I'm..okay, thanks Hazel." You gave her a smile, and Hazel seemed to relax. "I'm glad. I know it's none of my business, and you probably don't want people bugging you about it all day. But..I'm sorry. For your loss." She wrung out her hands. "...I know you probably don't think much of me, because I hang out with Tammy, and she's always treated you and your friends awful, but I wanted to tell you..I admire you. How strong you are, I mean. Even after what happened, you never snapped at us or stopped being...I guess I wouldn't say happy, but...you know?" You understood. You never allowed your emotions to drag you down. No matter how hard things got, how awful the situation, you always tried to hold fast to your PATIENCE and stay positive. You had let your emotions get the best of you before. It made you hurt people. Never again. "Yeah..thank you Hazel. And, while I don't exactly approve of your friendship with Tammy, it's okay. You're really sweet, and you don't treat us like she does. I appreciate your kindness." Heh, KINDNESS. That was probably her SOUL trait too. Hazel opened her mouth to speak but only gasped as you were suddenly pushed out of the way by the queen of mean herself. Tammy Jefferson. "Oh my god, Hazel, you will NOT believe what I just saw. Some FREAK new kid was talking to a wall, can you believe it?!" You prepared to hit the ground, only to be caught by a set of strong arms inches before impact. You glanced up to see the short brother. He looked down at you and winked. "Well, I'm flattered. I've never had anyone FALL for me before."

Oh no. Was that a pun?

You felt your face heat up.

He was perfect.

"I am so sorry." You pulled yourself of him, but the blond merely shrugged. "Fergetaboutit. I know it wasn't YOUR fault." As he spoke, he shot Tammy a nasty look, which was also eerie as that lazy smile stayed on his face. This guy...he was cute and made puns, and that was setting off alarm bells in your head. ***You feel your sins crawling on your back*** "Uh..I didn't catch your name." You said, trying to keep the panic out of your voice. "I didn't throw it." He gave another wink and you felt your face heat up. You had to remind yourself not to let him get to you. "The name's Sans. You?" FuuuuuuUUCK. You stared at him through your circular sunglasses, eyes wide. This was bad. So, so bad. "You in there? Knock know?" Sans raised a brow. Even Natasha had frozen in place for a moment. She knew. You had told her everything. "Ugh, (Y/N) (L/N), you are so lame you freeze up even when a guy is hitting on you?" Tammy scowled. Now it was Sans who tensed, staring up at you. You shared this awkward staring contest before flinching when Sans slowly pulled one of his hands from his pockets. You prepared for the worst, but he merely held it out to you. "(Y/N) (L/N)? Why didn't you tell me it was you?" His eyes were closed for a moment, but he opened one to look up at you. His right eye. "D o n ' l?" You stared at him in horror and yelped as Natasha grabbed you by the back of your dress and dragged you away. You hurried off with her, but glanced back to see Sans still staring with that expression, and you could have sworn his eye was glowing.

"I thought you said he was, ya know, a skeleton!"  
"Well last time I saw him he WAS!"

And here it is ladies and gents, I finally decided to do a SansxReader!


	2. Watch out for my body rolls

Natasha dragged you to Mr. Frost's class and you both hurried to your seats, glancing behind your shoulder to make sure you weren't followed. It looked like you hadn't been. You both gave a relieved sigh as you sunk into your seats. "...(Y/N)...What. The. HELL?" Natasha finally spoke, waving her arms a bit. "I don't know!" You replied, whisper yelling. "I'm just as confused as you! And language! You know Frost hates swearing." "I don't care! This is crazy, I thought they were skeletons!" You opened your mouth to speak but shut it as a girl you didn't recognize came in and sat on your other side. She was Asian, with long black hair and the biggest brown eyes you had ever seen behind a large pair of rose tinted sunglasses, and she wore a matching colored beanie. She did not look happy at all. You and Natasha glanced at each other, but before either of you could say anything Sans and Papyrus walked past the open door and you immediately hide your face in your English book. "Just..kill me now. Beat me to death with the text books, it's the death I deserve.." You groaned, sinking in your seat. The new girl furrowed her brow, looking between you and the short blonde boy who had paused in the doorway to give you the stink eye. "Are...you okay? Also, your book is upside down." "Dammit!" You groaned, slamming the book down. Papyrus heard you shout and glanced inside. Oh no. Papyrus had heard you curse. Now Sans really was giving you the nastiest look you had ever seen. "This is it. The end of my life. I am SO dead." "Yeah, I don't think so." You watched in horror as Natasha just...stood up, and walked over to the door. Sans looked up at her with a cocked brow and your best friend winked, blew a kiss, and slammed the door in his face. You nearly shrieked but couldn't help but laughed as she turned away from the door, high kicking. "Watch out for my body rolls, watch out for my body rolls! High kicks, high kicks! This is how we do it!" "You are a psycho with a death wish." You covered your mouth, snorting. Always count on crazy Natasha to turn a scary situation hilarious. The new girl furrowed her brow and you could tell she was debating moving seats. "Sorry, it's...nothing. We're just weird." You told her. No reason to get a total stranger involved in all this craziness. The new girl looked skeptical. "Issues with your boyfriend or something?" Your face instantly heated up. "Wh-what?! No! Haha, no way!" You shook your head and smacked Natasha's arm as she returned to her seat, snickering. "He-He's not my boyfriend. No way! He's just...somebody I seriously, **seriously** pissed off years ago." Murdering peoples friends tend to do that. "He looked like he wants you dead." "He probably does, if I'm going to be honest." You admitted. "I...really messed up last time I saw him. I was in a bad place and I let someone take advantage of me. It got a lot of people hurt. But..I would kinda like to not think about that until I have to deal with him, and I will. So, what's your name?"

Before the new girl could answer the classroom door was opened and in came Tammy, and this time she had the Hailey's with her. Hailey Mitchell, Hailey Dunhem, and Hailey Paige. You had known them since elementary school and they had alway been snotty. They reminded you of the Ashley's from that old Disney show 'Recess'. "Oh my god, she's here!" Tammy gasped before turning her head and laughing. The Hailey's laughed along with her, and now it was the new girl who was sinking down in her seat. "THIS is the girl who was talking to a wall?" Hailey Paige snickered, giving the new girl a once over before turning up her nose. So this was the girl Tammy had mentioned before. "We can't really blame her. I mean, just LOOK at her, of course she wouldn't have any actual friends to talk to." Okay, nope. You didn't even bother to glance at the door to make sure the brothers were still outside before you got to your feet. "Hey, how about you guys knock it off? This is real life, not some teen drama on the Disney channel. So can you please stop acting like stereotypical two dimensional cartoon characters? I think people would like you a lot better that way." You weren't even trying to be mean, but you didn't tolerate bullying. Hailey Mitchell merely eyed you before flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder. She was the shortest of the Hailey's, but had always made up for her size by being extra bitter. You always questioned why you had been friends with her once, for like..a week. And in that week, you had told her things you wished you hadn't. "Oh...Hi (Y/N)! It's great to see you, really. We were thinking you wouldn't be coming today. I'm glad you did, because I saw your mom at the whorehouse yesterday, and she wanted me to tell you she said hi!" Like your birth mother. Probably shouldn't have told her about your birth mother. The new girl gave a small gasp but you merely rolled your eyes. Fine. No more Mr. Nice girl. "Gee Hailey, thanks for passing that along for me. You know, I may not approve of your choice of career, but I'm glad you found somebody like my mom to teach you. She must be a GREAT mentor when it comes to working the pole." And Natasha was dying. Now it was Hailey Mitchell's turn to gasp and she began to yell at you but was interrupted by Mr. Frost. "Take your seats and behave ladies. If you keep this up I'll give both of you detention." Grumbling, Hailey Mitchell and her friends took their sits and you returned to your own, high-fiving Natasha on the way. You knew the girls would make you pay for that later, but it was whatever. You would cross that bridge when you got to it. Mr. Frost sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was a pale guy, and pretty attractive actually. His brown hair was buzzed, a habit he carried over from his days back in the navy. While you personally found him to be one of the high schools better teachers, and pretty hilarious at times, Frost was still a strict teacher. You needed to be honest your best behavior the rest of class. "Alright kids, I know everyone is a bit antsy because of the memorial service we're having today, but I still don't want to see anybody fooling around! Understood?" "Yes sir." The class replied robotically, as this was the only type of response Frost would take. "Good. With that little warning out of the way, I want everyone to meet the newest member of our home room. Emilie, please come up to the front." The new girl, Emilie, groaned and got to her feet, walking up to the front of the classroom to join Mr. Frost. "This is Emilie Chun, she just transferred over from New York and will be with us for the rest of high school, and since you're all only Juniors, that's a long time. So I expect everyone to make this easy and treat her with KINDNESS and respect. Now, does anyone have any questions for Emilie?" Tammy's hand instantly shot up. "So, like, do you make a habit of talking to walls, or is it part of some sort of mental illness?"

The room erupted into laughter and Emilie cringed. You and Natasha rolled your eyes and sighed. Mr. Frost didn't look too happy either. "That's detention, Tammy." "What? I was just asking a question!" But Frost wasn't hearing any of it. While he continued to scold the bully Emilie snuck back to her spot beside you. "Ignore her." You advised, shaking your head. "Tammy is all talk." "But I wasn't talking to a wall!" Emilie whispered, her voice tight. "There was a girl there. Some emo looking girl with bright pink hair! I talked to her, she helped me find the bathroom." A shiver ran up your spine. No way. This was not possible. "Was she tan, and wore, like, a skeleton barrets?" You asked, trying to keep your cool. Emilie nodded. "Yeah, she said her name was Dawn." You looked at Natasha, who had paled. "Emilie, that's not possible. Dawn died two years ago."

Dun Dun Dun!  
Heyo everyone, Miss Misery here! That's right, I got myself a new nickname, but that's beside the point! With the success of my BednyXreader fic, I decided to give Undertale a try! It's actually a lot of fun and I'm super in to it! So let me know what you think!


	3. You are filled with DETERMINATION

Emilie was looking at you and Natasha like you were crazy, and then she gave a scowl. "I was starting to think you guys were pretty cool. That is NOT funny." "We're being serious!" Natasha replied and you elbowed her in the side to get her to quiet down. Taking a deep breath you turned back to Emilie. "I swear to you, we aren't joking...and you aren't either..right?" Your time in the UNDERGROUND had taught you many things, things most humans didn't know. Like the fact that ghosts existed, technically. A humans SOUL can continue to exist past death for a certain period of time. Emilie nodded, her mouth still in a scowl. You looked back at Natasha who gave a wary nod. "Okay..look, the memorial assembly is going to start soon. Dawn is one of the kids they'll talk about. Sit with us, okay?" "...Fine. But if this is some cruel joke I'll never forgive you."

That out of the way the principal announced the memorial assembly and you left the classroom, along with everyone else in the school, and that included Sans and Papyrus. You, Natasha and even Emilie were on the lookout, making sure neither of them were nearby as you made way to the gymnasium. "So, am I allowed to ask what happened between you guys, or..." Emilie spoke up and you sighed, slouching. "...if you really did see Dawn, then I'll tell you at lunch, kay? 'Cause I get the feeling if all this is true, we're going to be seeing a lot of each other." That being said the three of you entered the gymnasium and Emilie gasped. A memorial was set up in the middle, and a large print of your friends, with you, was smack dab in it. Dawn, your emo best friend, Anna, a girl who could have passed for popular if she didn't like DnD, Morgan, a dweebish bookworm who played magic, Jasper, an avid otaku, and Brittany, Jasper's little sister and just as much into anime as he had been. There was another person in the photo, another victim. Fellow goth Kent, also known to you and Natasha as 'he-who-must-not-be-named'. Dead or not you didn't care, Kent had been a real jerk, and you couldn't believe you had had a crush on him, no matter how brief it was. He was the whole reason you had that argument with the others in the first place! You gently took Emilie's arm and led her through to the bleachers, scanning the crowd for a spot to sit. You stopped when you saw Sans sitting near the front with his brother, staring at you with that seemingly permanent grin of his. ***You feel your sins weighing on your neck*** "He looks really mad." Emilie finally tore her eyes from the photo and you nodded, pulling her along and making sure to keep a safe distance from the..monster? Natasha spotted some seats open in the top corner and you headed up there. "Yeah, the fact I'm alive is probably a bane to his existence." You only half joked. The three of you took your seats and you realized it wasn't only Sans' staring that you felt. Everyone was staring. of course they were. Out of your little band of freaks, you were the only one left. Suddenly felt even more uncomfortable than before. The gym quieted down as Principal Andrews entered the room and took position at the mic. "Good morning everyone. I'm aware you all must be excited to be out of class so early, especially with finals coming up in a few days, however we are not here for a fun reason, as I'm sure most of you know. However, as with every year, we have gotten a large amount of new faces. So you don't feel left out, allow me to explain the purpose of today's assembly."

"Two years ago on this day we held our annual Scream Fest, a now discontinued event where students would gather for a bonfire night on the football field and scream to relieve stress about the upcoming finals." A few students murmured but principal Andrews continued to speak. "While everyone was busy with the festivities, six of our students were hanging out in the old locker room. This area was no longer in use and therefore off limits, however these students spent much of their free time there. Some time near midnight, something went wrong. It's still unclear what exactly happened, but the bonfire got loose and began to spread across the field. We believed all students had been safely evacuated, however we were unaware that these students were inside the locker rooms, and they were unaware of the fire." As you listened to Andrews recall the nights events you felt a knot begin to form in your stomach as you pictured it all. Your friends sitting in the old hang out, blissfully unaware of the raging fire that was heading directly for them. You felt Natasha squeeze your hand and you gave her a weak smile. Today..today was just a shitty, shitty day. "For some reason, these students were unable to make it out of the locker room. We lost six bright lives on that night. I..was not close to these students, so I fear I cannot due them justice. Which is why I would like to introduce, to those of you who are new, their close friend, (Y/N) (L/N)." Now all eyes really were on you. Taking a deep breath you got to your feet and slowly made your way down the bleachers to the podium. You had to keep reminding yourself, you had agreed to this. You needed to speak. For them. As you made your way down you actually made eye contact with Sans and Papyrus. Papyrus looked concerned while Sans seemed...confused. You looked away from them and finally got up to the mic. Andrews adjusted it for your size and stepped back, giving you space. You took a deep breath, the knot in your stomach growing. "...my name is (Y/N), and..the people you see on this photo behind me...they were my best friends."

Your grip on the podium was so tight your knuckles were beginning to turn white. You had thought you could handle this, but...No. You couldn't give up. You needed to do this.

 ***Knowing that your friends were counting on you to spread this message fills you with DETERMINATION***

"Everyone..they were such smart people." You fought to keep your voice from wavering. Why did this have to be so hard. You couldn't even look up at everyone as you spoke. "Smart, and kin, and funny. They were all so unique in their own ways, had something specialist to offer to the world..but because of the fact they were different in one way or another, they were...WE were singled out." You slowly lifted your head, growing more DETERMINED as each word came out. It felt strange...DETERMINATION had never been your trait. You were born with a SOUL of PATIENCE. You recalled Jr high, back in your Biology class. You had learned once that a SOUL's trait could change depending on a traumatic experience. Was that what was going on? No, that seemed silly..."Because of this, we were alone for such a long time. Nobody cared about what we could provide. Jasper and Brittany were amazingly generous people, happy to help others with their homework, or lend someone an anime to watch, or even just give a well needed hug. Anna was pretty and smart, and honestly she could have been popular. But she had an interest in hanging out with people like _us_ and she was shunned for it. She wanted to be on the debate team, she would have been good at it too." As you spoke you saw that Emilie was staring, not as you but directly behind you. You felt your hair stand on end. Swallowing, you continued. "Morgan was awkward but sweet, and had an amazing way with animals. He wanted to be a vet..." You didn't want to talk about Kent. Kent was a liar, and a manipulator. Just like that demon child. "..Kent was..Kent was a free spirit. He had his own ideas for life, and he would have gone on to do great things." Guess you were a liar too. "And Dawn..." Oh god, just mentioning her name brought her face to your mind. Bubble gum hair and snakebites. She was always so happy. "Dawn was...Dawn was absolutely wonderful." You slowly moved your gaze to the now human skeleton brothers. "You all..most of you know me. I'm (Y/N), and for years I was an angry kid who was hurting on the inside. And I took that out on a lot of you. I hurt a lot of you." You could have sworn you saw Sans' smile twitch. Papyrus was listening intently, the concern of his face growing. "And then one day, my first day of Jr high, I met Dawn. She had decided to walk beside me on the way to school. She was bubbly and annoying, and I made sure she knew it." You internally cringed thinking back to that day. "But...but that never detoured Dawn. She had decided she was going to be my friend, no matter how I treated her. She said she saw something in me. She saw a glimmer of a good person inside of me." Sans visibly grew stiff. "Dawn believed that anybody could be a good person if they just tried, me especially. And she was right. But nobody else saw these things. Instead they saw what wasn't important, the things that made us different. I'm not here to shame anyone, or call out anyone. I just..I just want everybody to stop, for just a minute and think. Think about my friends." You sucked in a breath and then continued to stare out at the crowd intently.

"I want you all to think of my friends, and how little you knew them. Maybe, how poorly you treated some of them. Again, I'm not trying to shame you, but please..please realize, that no matter how different the person next to you might be, they're still a person, and should be treated with at least the minimum amount of respect on that level. Had..had some of you done that, they have been out screaming and having a good time with the rest of you, instead of hiding away in the old locker room. So please. Next time you see someone different and feel the urge to say or do something, please just think twice. And if you see someone else acting poorly to another person for such a stupid reason, like how they look or act or what they like, step in. Do something. It's a lot easier than everyone thinks."


	4. I see dead people, and the demon

The gymnasium was totally silent, and all the DETERMINATION you had suddenly felt like it was dissolving. Though everyone was staring at you, their forms seemed to morph together in colorful, shapeless blobs and you felt like you were going to be sick. Panicking, you felt yourself grow dizzy and your foot pivoted off the wooden podium as you began to run. The principal, as well as Natasha and Emilie, and you could have sworn you heard Papyrus, call for you. You ignored them, throwing the gymnasium doors open and running as fast as you could. You weren't sure where you were going until you were there. You had run out of the school and across the football field, sliding and tripping slightly on the newly watered grass. Finally, you reached the burnt and abandoned locker room, swinging the door open and slamming it behind you. Hiding your face in your hands, you slide down to the floor, shaking as you tried to hold back sobs. Holy shit, you were having a break down. You had them a lot the first year after the accident, but this was the first you had had in at least 9 months. You had been doing so good... You held your breath, counting to ten, and then slowly exhaled, lifting your head. Your stomach dropped as you realized that, like a total fucking idiot, you had run into the very place your friends had lost their lives. The walls were charred, the metal benches and lockers warped. Why hadn't the school gotten rid of this place yet? You push yourself off the ground and wrinkle your nose as your hands get covered with the black soot, dirt and crap covering the floor. With no other choice, you sigh and wipe them off on your dress. "Hopefully that will wash out.." You say to no one, slowly picking your way through the remains of the locker room. You and the others used to sit in the back, near the showered. You decided to make your way over to that area, freezing when you heard to door you had just been sitting against open.

"(Y/N)?"

Oh..it was just Natasha. She had Emilie with her and they both slowly entered the locker room, their eyes widening slightly as they looked at their surroundings. Natasha gently grabbed your arm, her brows furrowed. "Hey...are you okay?" "No." You replied flatly and she sighed, realizing that had been a stupid question. "Okay, that's understandable. Better question. What can we do to help?" To this all you could do was shrug. Just moments ago you were filled with this..power. DETERMINATION. It made you feel strong, confident. Now you just felt hallow and drained. While Natasha looked worried, Emilie looked like she'd seen a ghost, and you realized that she probably had. "Who did you see?" You asked her, deciding it was best to put your attention on Emilie, distract yourself. This was not to be, however, as her answer only made you feel more drained. "That girl...Dawn." Emilie replied in a shaky voice. "She was behind you the whole speech...crying." You let out a long, exasperated sigh and nodded. "Shoulda seen that coming. Okay, Emilie? You need to tell us everything." "can we go...somewhere else?" The new girl asked, eyeing the locker room nervously. "I don't like it here." You and Natasha nodded and Natasha opened the door, making sure nobody else was outside, possibly searching for you. Once she made sure the cost was clear, you led the new girl to the girls locker room. You gave it a search, and upon giving Natasha the okay she locked all the doors. The three of you took a seat on one of the benches, Emilie sitting across from you both. "okay. Can you tell us everything from the start?" Natasha asked and Emilie nodded, taking a deep breath. "It was just..not even an hour ago." She started, and you could tell she still couldn't really register what was going on. you couldn't blame her. "Uh...my mom had just dropped me off, and originally I had started looking for administrations to get my schedule, but I ended up needing to use the bathroom. But when I finally found one, a girl was standing in front of the door, crying..." "Dawn." You said, not surprised. She had often gone into the bathroom near the office to cry. Everyone else avoided that area because they didn't want to deal with all the teachers and security that was there. Emilie nodded. "Yeah...she had bright pink hair..a lot of pink, actually. A pink t-shirt with a black skull on in, she had on a tie and skirt." Yeah, that was Dawn. The shirt had been a present from you. Dawn had adored that shirt... "Okay, she was crying and then what?" "Well, I asked her if she was okay. She looked really surprised to see me, but once she saw that I was talking to her she seemed to get really excited. She asked my name and then introduced herself as Dawn. Once the introductions were over she moved so I could get inside and said she would see me later. When I left the bathroom she was gone." "And then you saw her behind me during the speech, crying again." You repeated what she had said earlier. Emilie nodded and leaned back, shaking her head. "this is crazy..I never believed in ghosts. I didn't think they were real." You gave a slight, almost bitter laugh. "Oh they're real, trust me. Human SOULS are very, very, annoyingly strong." At your words Emilie tiled her head and you shrugged. "Well, I said I was gonna tell you if you were telling the truth, and you are, so...now I'll tell you what my deal is."

With a grunt you pushed yourself off the ground and went over to the shower area, washing your hands in the sink. The other two girls watched you, Emilie intensely while Natasha, who already knew this story, looked grim. You let out another tired sigh, letting the warm water run over your hands. Like it was washing away the nonexistent dust. Without looking up from your hands you began to talk. "Long ago, two races ruled over the earth. Monsters, and humans. One day, war broke out between the two races. After a long battle, the humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters UNDERGROUND with a magic spell." With that you turned off the water and pulled some paper towels out of the dispenser. Emilie once again tilted her head. "I already knew that. It's just a fairy tale our parents used to-" "No. It's not." Natasha cut her off, her voice stern. "It was real, all of it." "I...I fell UNDERGROUND when I was a kid. I met the monsters." You walked out of the showering area and retook your seat beside Natasha. Emilie stared at you wide eyed. "No way. You're bullshitting me." "I wish I was. It was...I was so stupid." You shook your head. So, so, so so so so so stupid. "What do you mean?" Emilie leaned forward in her seat. It almost felt like you were telling scary stories over the campfire. Only instead it was a story about an extremely stupid, selfish little girl. Who just so happened to be you. "...I'm a foster kid." You began to explain. "And when I was 8 years old, I had been put into my first home. They were... **bad** people. Crazy, religious people who basically treated my birth mother, who I'm going to add that as of now is a heroin addict, like she was the Virgin Mary incarnate. If I failed a class, I was forced to sit and read the bible for hours. If I wet the bed, they locked me in the bathroom. If I got into trouble, or if they were just in a bad mood, I would be locked in the bathroom all weekend." As you recounted your childhood, Emilie gasped and Natasha rubbed your back gently. Talking about it really didn't bother you anymore. That was life. Your birth parents had been neglectful and your foster parents abusive. Yes, it was awful but you couldn't change the past, nor would you. But...talking about the monsters, that upset you. "But...that isn't really important right now. What's important is what happened in the UNDERGROUND. See, one day my foster parents thought it would be 'fun' to go on a camping trip. So they stuck me and the other two foster kids in a danky RV and carted us up the mountain. By that point I was just so done with everything, so when we stopped for a restroom break, I took a chance and ran. That's how I fell. I tripped over a root or something and the next thing I know I'm screaming my 8 year old ass off as I fall down this huge, dark hole. How I didn't die upon impact is beyond me, but I lived." Okay, Emilie looked horrified, understandably. "I woke up in a bed of golden flowers, and I was found by a monster. A big fluffy goat woman, her name was Toriel, and she...she was the nicest woman I had ever met. But back then I didn't care." You leaned back until the back of your head touched one of the cold lockers. "i was hurting. And I was angry, and I took it out on her, and anyone else I met."

"I was a total brat. It didn't matter who it was. When I got away from Toriel I met these skeleton brothers. Sans and Papyrus." You thought back to that. _'Don't you know how to great a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand..'_ "It didn't matter how kind they were, not even papyrus, who is the sweetest person to every exist in the history of ever. I was rude. I was bitter...I didn't trust people. Especially adults. And then I met Flowey and Chara." Just saying their names brought their faces to your mind. An innocent looking flower that smiled and gave encouraging words. A little red eyed kid who gave promises of protection. **Liars**. "Flowey was a monster, a small flower that acted nice and friendly, but it was a trick. The same with Chara. See...Chara was a ghost. Human SOULS, unlike monsters, they can exist long after death, especially if, like Chara, their SOULS have DETERMINATION. In foster care we have a rule..don't trust adults. But you can trust kids. I made the mistake of trusting Chara. I told them where I came from, how I fell. They noticed my fear of abandonment, of being hurt, and the little shit picked at it and picked at it until they knew I would jump at an offer for help. And I did. They said if they could borrow my body, they could get me out of the UNDERGROUND, keep me safe. Instead...instead, they used me to kill everyone. Chara wasn't a child. They were a demon."

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WE GETTING BACKSTORY~

Now I know some of you may bring up two things, so I'll just address them here.

1\. "Misery, isn't that backstory for reader a bit depressing and stereotypical? There are TONS of reader inserts where the reader was abused!"

This is true, and I was a little wary of doing this at first. However, this may be a reader insert, but it's also a bit of an author insert, and what you just read wasn't something I made up. It's my childhood. My birth parents were drug addicts, and my foster parents were abusive religious zealots. Now obviously I didn't run away and fall down a hole, no I got a bit suicidal, even at 8. I only mention that last part as it will be mentioned through the story, so take this as a trigger warning.

See this story has a moral, and it's one I hold strictly. Your past is no excuse to hurt others. You ALWAYS have the choice to be a good person, and I for one hold the belief that having a childhood like mine, while it hurt me, has also served to show me how to be a better person, and to work hard for the life I want. I was a bad kid, I was a bully and I did bad in elementary school. I thought taking my pain out on others would make me feel better, but it only made me feel worse. It wasn't until I decided to put the past in the past that I really felt freedom for the first time, and I redeemed myself. This is the core concept of this fic.

2\. "BUT MISERY, CHARA ISN'T BAAAD, THEY'RE A POOR INNOCENT-"

Nope. Imma cut you off right there.

I am aware of the "the player was the murderer the whole time, not chara" THEORY. It's a theory. Not canon. And I believe HALF of it.

Let me explain. I fully believe the player helped cause the genocide route. However, I also believe Chara is guilty too. They aren't innocent, they aren't a precious little kid who sacrificed themselves to try and free monsters. Asriel himself has told us, Chara was NOT nice. They're the one who took over their brothers body and went to the surface, planning to kill humans, not to break the barrier, recall that what we all believe was Chara killed themselves so Asgore could take the SOUL and cross the barrier. However when they took over Asriel they didn't take their SOUL to Asgore, they went to kill humans and restart the war between humans and monsters, which would have most likely ended up wiping out the entire monster race. Chara hated humanity, and when they saw that the monsters wanted to live up on the surface with them, Chara decided they weren't going to let this happen.

Now think back to the genocide route. Two specific things happen. The first is that when Flowey speaks to Frisk, still under the impression they're Chara, they mentioned a plan. Yes, a plan. meaning Chara PLANNED the genocide run already. However, they weren't able to do it. No, they needed a partner, US, the player. Meaning that Chara had already intended to kill everyone in the UNDERGROUND before we even got there. Then there's what Chara says when you decline their offer to erase the world. They comment on how we aren't in control. Meaning that while we started the genocide run, Chara was still behind it as well, they were in control.

We can also point to the pacifist route you play after completing Genocide. Chara smudges out everyone's faces. They don't care about their family or you friends.

So NO, I am a firm believer that Chara isn't an innocent kid who never wanted to hurt anyone. They had clear intentions to cause harm, and that's how they'll be written here.


	5. Papyrus still believes in you

Emilie was speechless from your admission. This probably did seem totally crazy to her, and you were prepared for her to call you a liar. Instead Emilie slouched over. "This is totally nuts..like, HELLA nuts. But...I'm seeing dead people, so I don't think I have the right to accuse you of lying to me right now." Oh. Well, that was a mildly delightful surprise. "So, then those two guys are...?" "Sans and Papyrus. Sans is the short one, Papyrus is the tall one who just emits absolute joy. I...Chara, kinda used me to decapitate Papyrus." _I still believe in you! You can do a little better if you just try!_ "And Sans..? We, uh, kinda had an epic showdown. He doesn't look like much, being all short and chubby, but he is SCARY." _On days like this, kids like you... l._ "I still have nightmares about that fight." "But wait, if you killed them, then how are they here? And how are they human?" Huh. Good question. You smiled and shrugged. "Mmmmmagic? Hell if I know. All I know if that Sans totally wants to mount my head onto a pike and present it to my sobbing mother. But we have more important things to worry about." The other two girls gave you a confused look as you got to your feet. "Like what?" "Like Dawn."

Natasha seemed to understand right away and got up as well. "That's right! Dawn's ghost is still hanging around. That can mean multiple things, and maybe she wants something." "Exactly. So we need to get to the bottom of this...if you want." You looked at Emilie. "You are the only one here who can see ghosts, after all." "Heck yeah!" Emilie hopped off her seat grinning. "This is an adventure!" This caused you to laugh. Emilie may seem cautious a first, but you could tell you were going to like her. The three of you headed out of the locker rooms and made your way across the football field. You sort of made a scene back in the gymnasium, so going back there was a no go. Besides, as Natasha was quick to point out, if Emilie was standing near you it was likely she was only there for you. She had probably returned to the bathroom after you left. So to the main building you headed, though you still weren't happy with your planned destination. "You're sure you didn't see her in like, the burnt locker rooms or something?" You asked, peering around a corner of the main building. The cost was clear. "Positive. There wasn't a soul in sight...no pun intended." "Lame, that pun should have totally been intended." You all made your way around the corner and darted into the main building. Now all you had to do was make it to the girls room without any interruptions. "(Y/N)!" Oh god, was that Papyrus? You froze, glancing back over your shoulder. Yup. That was Papyrus. You had half a mind to run, but...Papyrus. You just didn't have the heart to run from him.

"(Y/N)!" Papyrus repeated, wrapping you up in his now weirdly flesh arms. He gave you a tight bear hug before letting go. This...really wasn't what you were expecting at all, and you watched wide eyed and confused as the taller boy bent down a little so he could look at you at your eye level, this sweet, heart breaking smile on his face. "I am so proud of you..I knew you could be better! Of course, I, the great Papyrus, would never doubt a friend, not for a moment! I have always believed in you." Oh no. This was the last thing you needed right now. And also exactly what you needed to hear. It felt like your heart was shattering and swelling all at once, and you quickly wiped your eyes as you felt tears begin to sting them. Papyrus believed in you. _Papyrus believed in you._ You couldn't handle this. You tore away from him and ran once more, going straight into the girls bathroom. You went down to the handicap stall where Dawn used to sit and you sat on the floor, trying to control your breathing while sobs ached to escape your throat. Sure, your grandparents had always told you how proud they were. How they always knew you would turn out okay, and hearing that had made you happy, but this? Suddenly it felt like this..this missing thing, you didn't even know what it was, had filled a hole in you. This day was becoming too much. Finally a sob escaped your lips and you hugged your legs as they raked your body. He believed in you. How the FUCK could he believe in you? Suddenly you felt a chill and shivered, looking up as Natasha and Emilie entered the bathroom. While Natasha knelt down and gently hugged you, Emilie stared.

"(Y/N)? Dawn is...Dawn is hugging you too."

AND FEEEEELS TRIP!

Of course Papyrus was going to be the one to reach out to you first, what were you expecting? Sadly, things are going to be horribly tense between you and Sans still for a decent amount of time. But you've got more important things to worry about. I aologize for the short chapter, more will come!


	6. I hope you die in a fire

You froze, sobs catching in your throat. Dawn..was hugging you? You looked up at Emilie with wide eyes and she nodded, biting her nails. Was that the cold feeling you had just felt? Dawn? "Why is she still here?" You asked Emilie. Her eyes flickered to your side and after hesitating she held both her hands out to you and Natasha. You both glanced at each other before getting up, you wiping your face before taking the Asian girls hand. The minute you did you felt the sharp sting of electricity and even her the crackling. The room felt like it was spinning and you were 99% sure you were going to blow chunks. Natasha didn't look much better, but you both held tightly to Emilie's hands and held your ground. When the world finally decided it was trendy to stand still, there was Dawn, sitting right next to where you had been. She too looked like she had been crying, her mascara runny, though you feared that may be a permanent thing. "D-Dawn?" You muttered and almost let go of Emilie's hand however she intertwined her fingers with your own so you couldn't. Dawn stared at you before pushing herself off the ground and taking a step towards you. You were seriously beginning to second guess this whole thing. The concept of seeing your dead friend was one thing, actually doing it was another thing. However all these thoughts flew out the window the minute Dawn began to sob. "(Y-Y-Y?N)! I'm so sorry for everything!" Dawn sobbed, her face in her gloved hands. "I should have stood up for you when the fight happened! H-How could you say all those nice things about me when I practically abandoned you!" "Oh, Dawn..." You wanted to reach out and hug her, but recalled your interactions with Napstablook. Even if she was technically another species of ghost...? You were sure you couldn't touch her. "Dawn, sweetie...everyone has moments where they're too scared to do the right thing. It's okay, I'm not mad at you or anything." You tried to reassure her. "I could never, ever be mad at you. I want to help you! Please Dawn, tell us why you're here?"

Dawn tried to catch her breath, rubbing tears from her eyes and running a hand through her bubble gum pink hair. She gasped when she realized something was missing, then sighed, slouching slightly. "The skull clip you gave me...I keep forgetting that jerk Kent took it." "That's why you're still here?" Yo frowned slightly. "You can't find the clip?" Honestly, that...yeah, that sounded like Dawn, if you were honest. This actually made Dawn giggle a little and she shook her head. "No, that would be silly..I mean, I would LIKE to know where it is, you got it for me..but..no.." she trailed off, clasping her hands together and taking deep breaths, like she was trying to gather the courage to tell you what was really wrong. "Dawn..? You can tell me.." "You aren't going to like it, Cherry bomb." _Cherry bomb_. god, nobody had called you that since the accident, not even your grandparents. It was a nickname Dawn had given you based on your favorite song. After her death your grandparents probably thought it would hurt you, but honestly it felt good. "I don't have to like it, Dawn. But I need to know, and I need to help you if you need it." "...It wasn't an accident, Cherry bomb." Your stomach dropped. This was the last thing you had been expecting to hear from her. "Wh-what?" "Come on, (Y/N)! I know it was probably too hard for you to even imagine, but I know you're smart! it's had to have crossed your mind, why not even one of us made it out of the locker room!" "..It has, yeah." You admitted, your voice cracking. Your mouth felt dry, you felt light headed. "Someone locked us in. We couldn't get out." That was it. You wrenched your hand free from Emilie's, backing away and shaking your head. Your legs had become like jelly, you were scared they might give out beneath you. "No way..no fucking way. But why would anyone do that?!" Natasha reached out to comfort you but paused, sniffing the air. "Does..does anyone else smell that?" She wrinkled her nose, covering her nose with her free hand. "Has someone been smoking in here?" Emilie paled, looking back to where Emilie had been before letting go of Natasha's hand. "FIRE!"

You gasped and ran towards the door, grabbing the doorknob only to have a searing pain shoot up your arm from your hand. You cried out and staggered back, clutching your injured hand. "I-It's right outside the door!" Stupid, stupid, stupid! You could now hear the crackling of the flames outside the door and see the smoke filtering in through its cracks. How had you not noticed it sooner! "Turn on all the sinks!" Natasha ordered. Oh, thank god she was so smart. You and Emilie hurried to turn all 6 sinks on as Natasha put herself to the gross work of getting all the toilets clogged. "Andrews is going to lose his shit but it's better than ending up like Dawn..no offense." "She says none taken, now come on!" Emilie ran to the door and began pounding her fists on it. "We need to get attention!" She was right. All three of you began to pound on the doors and scream for help as hard and loud as you could. However, you feared the worst. "(Y?N)!?" Papyrus? Oh thank god! "Papyrus? Please, get help!" You screamed through the door. Your arms and hands were beginning to bruise. "Get a fire extinguisher, or something!" "DO NOT WORRY! I SEE GRILLBY! I SHALL GET HIM!" Grillby? As in the guy who runs the restaurant? What was he doing here..oh. Oh shit. "Turn off the water!" You demanded, turning to Natasha and Emilie. They looked like you were crazy. "Grillby is an elemental monster! He's made of fire! The water is going to hurt him! Just trust me!" This was the one time fighting fire with fire was a good thing. Of course Natasha listened to you right away, going to unclog the toilets, and Emilie, though hesitant at first, turned off the water. You could see the door began to be warped and expand slightly do to the heat on the other side, and you were beginning to have a hard time with the smoke. You grabbed both girls and pulled them down to the ground with you, below it. Please let them get here soon.. "Nobody has asthma, right?" Emilie asked, covering her mouth. Both you and Natasha shook your heads no. "Girls?!" Woah, that wasn't a voice you knew. It was deep and gruff, with a hint of Scottish. "Stay away from the door until I say!" Was that Grillby? It had to be, because the sound of crackling fire grew louder, however the smoke was being sucked out of the room, as if by magic. The room gradually began to cool off and after about 3 minutes the door was opened slightly before it completely fell off it's hinges. On the other side stood Papyrus and yes, a man who was clearly Grillby. he wore the same snazzy outfit, wore glasses that hid his eyes, and had sort of frizzy, fire red hair, a beard, and a handle bar mustache. Both looked extremely panicked and you found yourself being lifted off the ground by Papyrus. "(Y/N)! Oh..look at your arms, they're all black and blue..all of your arms! What happened? I may not be well accustomed to the surface yet, but I do not believe fires just start randomly!" "They do not." Grillby said, entering room. Though you felt the look he gave you was a cautious one, and you couldn't blame him, he still took your arms and lifted them with the utmost care. After deciding there wasn't any true damage to you, he checked Natasha and Emilie as well. "Papyrus, we need to get them to the principal and inform him there was a fire." "yes, it is only the responsible thing to do!" Papyrus agreed, setting you down and beginning to follow the older man out. You and the girls lingered.

"...Am I the only one who thinks this wasn't some sort of freak accident, or is it just me?"

"no, Emilie. I can assure you it's not just you."

"And I don't think. I'm **sure**."

Somebody knew that you had been told the truth.

As the three of you muttered to one another, you didn't notice Papyrus glance back at you and clench his fists.

I SET FIRE, TO THE RAIN. WATCHED IT BURN AS I TOUCHED YOUR FAAAACE!

Oh my god this chapter was intense! shit has gone down, and thank god Papyrus was there, but it looks like not only did he hear you and your friends, he agrees! Good luck getting him to leave you alone now! Everything is already starting to heat up, pun intended, and I for one and excited to bring what happens next!


	7. A moment of calm

You sat on a bench outside the principals office, Emilie, Natasha, Grillby and Papyrus with you. Of course none of you were in trouble, especially not Grillby, who was an adult, and actually was looking to volunteer in the school's kitchen, but the principal wanted statements while the fire department looked at things. Speaking of fire department, that had actually been Grillby's excuse for how he had put the fire out so much. He had been a fire fighter in his younger years. It took all your strength not to snort when he had said that. You all sat silent and you began to twiddle you thumbs awkwardly. God, these were not two eple you every expected to actually talk to today..or ever. God this was awkward. You looked up as the principal door open and out came Hazel. She looked at you and immediately ran over, giving you a tight hug. "I was talking with the principal when I heard! Are you okay?" "Y-Yeah, thanks Hazel." You gave her a pat on the back and smiled, thumbing towards Grillby and Papyrus. "Thank them. They totally saved us back there, especially Grillby with his...rad veteran fire fighter skills." You could have sworn you saw his mouth twitch in a smile, but he still made it rather obvious he didn't trust you. He had made sure t sit a good distance away after all. Hazel let you go, rubbing your arms gently before smiling at Grillby. "Thank you so, so much. I'm going to have to repay you for saving my friend." Hazel really was a sweet heart, you couldn't possibly fathom why she was friends with someone so awful as Tammy. "No need. It was what any...good person would do." Ouch. That was a low blow aimed right at you. You shuffled awkwardly in your seat, not meeting his gaze. Still salty about killing his friends. Okay, that was completely fair. Holly just continued to smile and gave you another hug as Andrews finally approached you all. "I just got done speaking with the firemen. It appears it was just a minor electrical short circuit that sparked against the old wood on the building and started a fire. We're going to be releasing everyone from school early today. Call your parents and go wait outside with the rest of the student body. " That was a relief. You have had more than enough action for today. Now you just wanted to go home and collect your thoughts. You got to your feet and blinked, looking up as Andrews as he placed his hands on your shoulders, giving you what was probably meant to be a reassuring squeeze, but it hurt more than anything. "Despite your panicking, you did very well today, (Y/N). You're friends would be very proud of you, and thankful for spreading such a message about tolerance and kindness." "O-Oh...thhank you, principal Andrews. That means a lot." He patted your shoulder and nodded, heading back into his office. Grillby then turned to you as he stood, arms crossed. "A message about tolerance and kindness..?" Ho boy, here we go. "Oh, yes!" Papyrus got to his own feet, grinning. "(Y/N) gave an absolutely lovely speech about how you should not wish harm upon others simply because they are different, and how everyone has the choice to do good!" Oh god, you felt your heart breaking again. "P-Papyrus, it wasn't that great..really." You tried to get him to chill off on the praise a little, but honestly you should have known better. "Don't be silly! It was very touching, and once again i say how proud of you I am! I knew you could be a good person, I just knew it!" Papyrus smiled wider at you, then at Grillby, who merely have a hum and left the building. You decided to leave with Natasha and Emilie, excusing yourselves as yo went to go outside.

Word had spread fast about the whole ordeal. People who barely spoke to you were walking up and asking if the three of you were alright. It was actually kind of annoying. "Hiya." Oh no. You would know that angrily attractive Bronx accent anywhere. You turned to see Sans standing behind you, looking up at you with one eye closed. That lazy posture didn't fool you for a second. This skeleboy was dangerous, and you knew it. "So, uh, Papyrus told me about what happened.." He trailed off, eyeing your bruised arms and hands. His smile actually slackened. He suddenly reached out and touched your right arm, causing you to flinch slightly, and he seemed surprised by his own actions as well,, but he didn't pull back. He seemed really unsure of what the heck he was doing, but he didn't pull back. "...does it hurt bad?" "...No. I'm okay. Just..shaken is all." More like still scared out of your mind, but you weren't telling Sans that. Sans stared at you for a moment before withdrawing his hand and his smile returned to normal. "...cool, cool. Anyway, that isn't why I'm here." Oh boy. " Look, I know you obviously didn't go looking for my brother, but here's the deal, b r a t." FuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuUUUUUUUU- "Keep away from my brother, capiche? Or else you're-" "I'm gonna have a bad time." You cut him off, pulling your book bag from your locker and rolling your eyes. "I know the speech Sans, I still hear it in my nightmares." Oops. More info then you had meant to share. But it certainly caught him off guard and shut him up. You really didn't have the right to snap at him, you knew that, and you would probably apologize come Monday, but right now our arms hurt and your heart was still pounding in your chest and the last thing you needed was this short, angry, attractive guy threatening you. You closed your locker and turned away, planning to not even saying anything else, only to find someone else in your face. Justin Florez. He was a freshmen, which sucked because you would totally be into him if he were older. Justin was short, which made sense, freshmen got shorter every year, and he had long brown dreadlocks. His usual attire consisted of a band tank under a camo jacket, black cargo shorts, red high tops, a beanie, and bracelets. Justin was a real cool, chill guy, practicing paganism and playing drums in a band. He winked at you and snapped his fingers, pointing. "I already know you're sick as hell of being asked if you're okay, so instead~" He tossed you a chocolate bar and his headphones. "I know chocolate isn't your favorite but I figured you could use it. Also it has almonds and sea salt." "You are a gift from above, truly." You gave him a thankful smile, still aware that Sans had not left, and you could just tell he was annoyed at you ditching your 'conversation'. "Anytime babe. Anyway, that is a cover my band did for a Life is Strange song. I know that game is your thing so I figured you would be the best critic."

You smiled and nodded, slipped the headphones on and pressing play. It started softly but you already loved it, closing your eyes and beginning to sway. You could hear Justin laugh as you danced a little, totally lost in the music. This went on for about two minutes and when the instrumental finally ending you opened your eyes to see Justin staring behind you, snickering. You handed him back the headphones. "That was gorgeous, man. You gotta burn me a CD." "I appreciate your approval." Justin grinned, putting the headphones back into his bag. "I'll burn you one tonight, just promise to meet me and Nathan and the old bookstore tomorrow. I mean, I'm sure he's taking Natasha so you would come, but still, extending the invitation." A bookstore? Good. That meant you could find books on ghosts. "I'm in. See you tomorrow." With that you bid him a farewell and glanced behind you. There was Sans still, now just..staring at you funny with blue..blue? Blue tinting his cheeks. You covered your mouth as you laughed and headed out towards the exit. "Bye Sans~"

And after all this insanity, a moment of clam.

Yes, I realized i misspelled that but screw it, it's staying.

So, Sans gave you a threat buuuuut you guys 'kinda' had a moment too. Let's just say Sans did get some confliction after hearing about the fire, but now that he knows you're okay, and we're using that word loosely, it's back to business as usual. But it's a start.

Justin is actually a real dude, whom, yes, I had a crush on in Junior year, but he was a freshmen so nah. But yes, he actually left school to tour with his bands. Sadly I didn't keep contact, I hope he's doing well. And don't worry, there isn't any romance between you two, babe is just something he calls anyone who isn't an adult.


	8. Idiots in masks

Getting your grandmother to let you out of the house had been a challenge. After what happened yesterday, she had grown really over protective, hell, she had even made a scene when she arrived to pick you up after school, yelling at the teacher and making legal treats. It was embarrassing, to say the least. Though one thing she had said stuck with you. _"We should not be having anymore fires at this school, especially not_ _ **TODAY**_ _!"_ Looks like even she had realized how strange it was that a fire had broken out yesterday of all days. However, just like the rest of the school, she had accepted that it was an accident. Andrews would have techs out all weekend checking the entire school. But you knew better. That fire had been no accident. Pulling a dark blue beanie over your head and making sure your butterfly clips were still holding your bands in place, you climbed off the bus and looked around. Old town Deep Elem. Deep Elem itself was the 'cool' side of town as far as you were concerned. Bars, though you didn't care for them, clubs like The Church, your go to goth club, and a ton of art shops, thrift shops, and antique stores. Old town wasn't super different, but was a lot quieter, mostly book stores and cafes. Still, while other teens went to the mall, this is where you went to spend time. You glanced at your phone, half an hour early. You could probably run by Lefty's seafood bar and grill, grab something to eat. You'd been going there since you were a child, your aunt taking you there right after your grandparents got custody of you. The workers watched you grow, they were like extended family. You put your earbuds in and shuffled the music on your phone, making your way down the road. Today was a lazy day, you hadn't felt like dressing up, so you dropped the goth look for a more simple punkish outfit. A 'Misfit skull' Tank top, copied straight from Life is strange, black leggings covered in white butterfly outlines, black ankle boots. You accessorized with a bunch of bracelets, butterfly wing earrings and a black choker with a butterfly hanging off it. at least you gave off the illusion you put effort into your appearance. Humming along you passed past a clothing shop and happened to catch your reflection. And the reflection of someone peering at you around the corner of a building across the street. Shit. Taking a deep breath you continued on like you hadn't seen anything, continuing on, but you kept your eye on every window reflection you passed. Just what you were afraid of. Someone was following you. Looks like Left'y would have to wait, the book store was closer. Your grip tightened around the handle of your shoulder bag and you picked up the pace. The sooner you were in a populated area the better.

You quickly made your way down the street and turned the corner onto Han street, taking this chance to slip into a thrift store, peering through the window to take a look at your tag along. Sure enough, when they lost you the person came out of hiding to look around, and you groaned, shaking your head. This guy was a fucking idiot. Did they honestly believe nobody would notice someone so tall running around in all black with a skull mask, IN BROAD DAYLIGHT? You couldn't even feel threatened anymore, this person was an moron. You watched them walk away and your blood suddenly ran cold. Something was sticking out of their black jeans,

A gun.

Okay, you were scared again. You had half a mind to run back to the bus stop and head home, and actually that was probably the smarter choice. But whoever this asshole was, you knew why they were tailing you. They were involved with the deaths of your friends. They were trying to stop you from finding the truth. Well fuck them. You were done standing by and letting people hurt your loved ones. First Chara, and now this. You reached into your bag, pulling out your Tessen Muji, a Japanese war fan. Honestly you had no idea how to use it, it had been a gift from Nathan a few months back and you just hadn't gotten around to learning how to use it. But you sure as hell weren't going back out there empty handed, even if you were sure it was useless against a gun. Cautiously you pushed the door open and went back outside, looking around. The cost was clear, but with a gun you couldn't be sure. Those things could kill from a distance. You decided it was best to hope from building to building, waiting inside a few minutes each time before going back out. This ended up taking the whole extra thirty minutes you had saved up to eat, but who cared. You reached the bookstore and ran inside, taking a moment to glance behind you. Just as the door closed, you saw the weirdo standing outside across the street, watching you. Screw this. You went right up to the front desk, where an extremely thin man with a brown handle bar mustache and a beaked nose stood. "Some freak is outside, dressed like a skeleton. I think I saw a gun on him." That did it. The man called a manager who then came and had you repeat what you said. They both thanked you the man behind the counter made an announcement that nobody was to leave the store as there was a situation, while the manager left to call the police. "What the heck is going on?" You turned to see Natasha and her twin brother Nathan sitting in the store's cafe, looking concerned. You sighed and slid into a seat at their table, placing your fan on top of it. "Have you told Nate?" You asked Natasha, who nodded. "Of course I told him." "I am the president of our schools paranormal club." Nathan added, adjusting his wire frame glasses. Nathan was good looking, tall with high cheek bones and muscular, as he was on the schools football team. However, he was also a huge fucking nerd. "I always figured they would stick around, no offense. However spirits tend to after being given such a traumatic death." "None taken." You replied, leaning back in your seat to glance out the window. Looks like the police had arrived, but you couldn't see your tag along. "Somebody followed me here, in a skull mask. They had a gun." "Holy shit.." Natasha gasped, her eyes going wide. Nathan cringed and shook his head. "This is bad. Not only does this provide Dawn and the others were murdered, but now you girls are in danger." God, this was a problem. Natasha leaned forward in her seat, taking your fan to mess with it. "Well, I'm not stopping. Are you?" "Hell no." Hearing you two, Nathan rolled his eyes. "Then I guess I have to join to keep you two from getting yourselves killed, don't I?" "That's the spirit!" His sister laughed, slapping him on the back and then getting up from her seat. "Where's Justin?" You asked, remembering that he was the one who invited you after all. "Music section, where else? Come on CHERRY BOMB, let's go grab some ghost books." Natasha replied, pulling you up from your seat. You couldn't help but laugh as you followed her to the new age section, Nathan right behind. "Don't grab anything by Silver Ravenwolf..Or Raven Silverwolf..whatever her stupid 'Witch' name it!" He warned and you both laughed, nodding. The New Age section was in the far back corner, and the three of you began searching for anything on ghosts and communicating with them. You couldn't help as Nathan went through books, making comments like 'Ridiculous', 'Didn't even research properly', 'Money grabber'. Nathan took his interest in the paranormal seriously, much to the annoyance of his rich and 'sensible' parents. "None of these seem to be very useful.." Natasha sighed, sliding a book back onto the shelf. "Of course not." Her brother snorted. " Most of these people don't even believe in what they write about. They just think those of us who believe are easy cash grabs. Sadly, they're right." Yo groaned and pinched your nose. "great. No leads..."

That's when your phone went off.

You pulled the pastel purple device out of your pocket and tapped the screen.

Your hair stood on end.

It was a text. From Brittany.

 ** _Brit: Hey girl~~~_**

 ** _Brit: This should help._** technology/shortcuts/2016/oct/11/chatbot-talk-to-dead-grief

 **Bit: ;3**  
-

Who needs a ouija board when you can just chat on the phone?  
Also, who was that following you? Clearly not a friend, they intended to do you harm. It looks like you can't get a day of rest!


	9. A mother's love

Natasha furrowed her brows when she saw you grow pale...er..than usual. "What is it? Did someone threaten you?" "No..it's Brittany. It's a text from...are they all still here?" Your voice was tight. You hadn't even thought of the possibility that the others were stuck here too. Nathan pushed his glasses up, thinking for a moment. "Most likely they all are. If it was traumatic enough for Dawn to be tethered to the earth, then it most likely affected the others as well. What did Brittany send you?" You held the screen up for him to see, and Nathan tapped it lightly, opening the link. "Oh, yeah. I've heard of this. Somebody in, like, Korea or something made an app where you can 'talk' to the dead. But, not really." "What do you mean?" Nathan waved for you to follow him and started off towards the music section, probably to meet up with Justin. You sure as heck weren't going to find anything useful in the books here. "It's being made to be a tool for grieving. To help people come to terms with the fact the other person is dead, and move on. It's not actually made to contact the dead." Weird, why would Brittany send you that? As if reading your mind, Nathan continued. "Maybe she wants to contact you through it." "But she's already texted me. Can she just keep using that?" Nathan shrugged and you all entered the bookstore's music section. As guessed, Justin was in the record part, checking out some vinyl. His face lit up when you called out to him. "Yo! You made it, awesome!" You both high fived as you put on a smile, even though you really weren't feeling it. "yeah, but not for long. You heard that announcement? We should fly, my grandmama would LOSE IT if she hears about this." "Yeah, we should bounce. I just wanted to wait and see if you made it." Justin nodded, setting the vinyl down. You felt kinda bad, this really messed up his plans. Or so you thought. Luckily his phone went off and he groaned, saying his mom was spazzing at him to come finish chores. "Thought she wouldn't be home for at least 5 more hours. Sorry to bail on you guys." "No, man, get home before she eats you alive." You smiled and waved at him as he hurried off. That was good. You didn't want to drag anyone else into this, especially not Justin. "...Okay, he's gone. Now what?" "We have you talk to that bot...but not here. It's not safe." Nathan was right. You needed and the three of you started for the door. However, you caught a passing comment as you drew close to the cafe. "Why on earth are the cook books next to the psychology books?" Oh god. You couldn't resist. "Because they're food for thought?" You said, loud enough for the stranger to hear. There was silence and then the stranger burst out laughing. It sounded like an older woman, and it was awfully familiar...

"My dear, that was simply wonderful! Hehehehaha!" Your eyes widened as none other than Toriel walked out of the cook book aisle. It HAD to be her. Human or not, it was obvious. She was extremely tall, and certainly looked to be as old as your grandmother, with long white hair and reddish brown eyes. She was still laughing when she saw you, and it seemed she didn't recognize you as you did her. ***Now I see who I was really protecting by keeping you here.*** You took a step back. Oh no, she really was the last person you wanted to see. Toriel laughter slowly turned to giggled and she smiled at you brightly. "That really was excellent, thank you for the good laugh, miss..." "Mom.." You instantly realized what you had said and covered your mouth, backing away further. You needed to make a break for the door. Toriel saw you glance at the door and put a gentle but stern hand around your arm. "(Y/N)? Is that you? If it is you need to talk to me." "I...I need to go. I'm sorry, I need to go." You tried to pull away but Toriel wouldn't let go. "My child, please.." _My child._ Ugh! Why was all this happening at once!? You couldn't handle all of this right now! You sucked in air through your nose and squeezed your eyes shut, trying to force your chest to stop feeling...weird. You were NOT going to have another break down. Not two days in a row. You had been doing so good...Toriel gently cupped your chin in her free hand and your eyes snapped open out of surprise. "Please. Tell me what happened. Why did you hurt us?" "...I can't. It will just hurt you more." And it wouldn't make a difference. Maybe it would to her and Papyrus, but everyone else? It had been 8 YEARS. The truth didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was that they hated you. The truth couldn't change that...right? "Nothing can hurt me more than knowing why my child decided to hurt us all. Can you at least tell me...did you mean to? Did you actively choose to kill us?" Why would she ask you that? There was no way knew she or even had an idea of what had happened. She couldn't. "How did you.." "A mother knows." Toriel sighed and suddenly pulled you to her in a tight embrace. "(Y/N), if you were forced to do it, you can tell me." A shaky sigh escaped your lips and you slowly hugged her back. "I will always listen to my children, even if it is something I don't want to hear. So please tell me, (Y/N), did you really want to kill us?" "...No." The minute your answer left your mouth Toriel hugged you tighter, kissing your head. "I knew it..i knew it. You were hurting, but not enough to.." She pulled away but kept you at arms length, kneeling down so she could better see you. "Please tell me everything." You could see Nathan waving at you from the door. You sighed and took her hands. "Mom, I can't. Not right now. I need to go." "...Alright. But know yu can tell me anything. I will never, ever turn you away. I love you." Your heart broke. You let go of Toriel's hands and backed away slowly. "I..I love you too, mom."

With that you turned quickly and ran to the door, grabbing onto Nathan and Natasha and pulling them outside with you. Nathan then led you to his car and you climbed into the back seat, buckling up. Nathan got into the drivers seat, adjusting his mirror. "So, uh...what was that all about." "That was..my mom. Goat mom, I mean. Not Dee." You saw him relax. You had probably worried him when he had told you it was you mom. No doubt if it was your birth mother he probably would have walked back into that bookstore and beaten the shit out of her, not caring about witnesses. "No way, for real?!" Natasha asked you, looking back at you from the front passengers seat. You nodded and she leaned in more. "Well, what happened? Did she ask why it happened? Did you even tell her?" "...I told her that I didn't want to do it. Now she wants to know everything." Natasha smiled brightly. "And you're going to tell her, RIGHT? I mean, you HAVE to!" Way to put on the pressure Nat. "I dunno..maybe? But not until we deal with the murder." "(Y/N) is right." Nathan pulled the car out of the parking lot and turned onto the highway. "Somebody just followed her here with a gun, and you guys caught in a fire. Somebody is out to get you. Family drama can wait." "Thank you!" You gently shoved Natasha back to her seat and she laughed.

I HOPE YOU LIKE FEELINGS!

There's actually a reason why Toriel knows, but that will come later. However we're pretty close to a very important chapter, I would say 3-4 more and we're there. I really am glad you guys are liking this, it has been a lot of fun to write. I am a tad worried I'm getting some characters messed up but so far I haven't heard any complaints. I think this chapter will be it for now, see you guys again in a few hours!


	10. Stop Scooby Doo-ing the FK around

You leaned back in the back seat of Nathan's car, staring out the window. Everything was so stress, Nate was right, for now, all of this crap with Sans and Papyrus and Tori, it wasn't important. It had to wait. You saw him exit onto the 35 and leaned, leaning forward. "Where are we going?" "To the cabin. Multiple roads to get there, tons of trees, if someone is following you, we can lose them." Shit. Your grandma was going to flip out. You leaned back and pulled out your phone, giving her a call. She picked up after the first three rings. "Hey, Grandmama? I'm going with Nate and Nat to their cabin. They're going to be doing some redecorating and want my help." Your grandmother didn't sound too sure, and honestly you felt awful lying to her. "Are you sure you'll be alright? After yesterday I just don't feel comfortable-" "Mama, it was just an accident. I'm fine. I promise." God, this was awful. It wasn't an accident, you knew that. You were in danger. Your grandmother sighed and agreed. "Call me when you get there and let me know when you're coming home. I love you." "I love you too Grandmama, bye." You hung up and sighed. "I hate lying to her..." You were starting to have second thoughts. Maybe you should just go to the police? First a fire starts that could have killed you, then someone was following you with a gun...wait, did the police the manager called ever even catch the guy? Shit, you forgot to ask. "I know." Nathan sighed, keeping his eyes on the road. "But it's not like we can go to the cops and tell them your dead friend told us they were murdered." True... "Everybody get comfortable. This is a three hour drive." "We're stopping for food." You sighed, beginning to mess around on your phone.

The ride up to the cabin was uneventful, and it was probably the most relaxed you had been since yesterday. Nathan stopped at a McDonalds and you all got some burgers before finally reaching the cabin. It was huge, no surprise, at least three stories, made wit gorgeous red wood. The place even had stained glass windows for Pete's sake! "Your parents have way to much money to spend." You said as you looked around. Their kitchen was bigger than the entire first floor of your house! "No joke." Nathan chuckled and got you all into the living room, all of you climbing onto the couch as you pulled out your phone. "Okay, so...should I try it?" You asked, staring at the link to the chat bot in the article. "I say go for it." Natasha nodded, grabbing a throw pillow off the couch and hugging it. She was kind of treating this like a sleep over, and you weren't sure how to feel about that. You sighed and clicked on the link. It sent you straight to a chatroom that made you think of Cleverbot. It asked you to enter your name, so you put in Cherry Bomb. The minute you were ready a message popped up.

 **Brit: Took you long enough, silly!**

Oh god. This was strangely terrifying. You glanced up at Nathan, who gave you a reassuring nod and smile.

 **Cherry Bomb: Sorry. Uh..hi?**

 **Brit: Hi! Awkward, right? Sorry about, you know..**

 **Brit: All this. I can't imagine how you must feel right now.**

 **Cherry Bomb, hah, yesh. I'm kinda ready to have another break down.**

 **Brit: ANOTHER? But you haven't had one in a long time, right?**

 **Brit: God, (Y/N), I am so sorry. This has just messed you up so badly.**

Brittany was dead. She really shouldn't be apologizing for how that affected you. God, this was all so messed up.

 **Cherry Bomb: Don't apologize, Brit. Anyway, what's going on.**

 **Cherry Bomb: How come you're contacting me through this thing?**

 **Cherry Bomb: Dawn said your deaths weren't an accident. That someone locked the doors so you couldn't leave.**

 **Brit: Oh brother...**

 **Brit: Cherry, I'm sorry..**

 **Brit: Dawn is wrong. There was no murder.**

 **Brit: It was just an accident.**

Woah, woah, woah. Hold the front door. "She says that Dawn is wrong. It was just an accident." You repeated what Brittany had sent you. Nathan and Natasha furrowed their brow. "...That makes no sense. If it was just an accident then why would someone-" "Try to kill us in a fire and chase me with a gun?" You cut Natasha off, not able to keep the edge out of your voice. Rage was starting to bubble in your chest and your hands shook as you clutched the phone. "..That isn't Brittany." Nathan finally concluded, and you had to agree. If they thought they could trick you so easily, whoever they were, they had another thing coming! You were not going to be jerked around!

 **Cherry Bomb: I don't know who you are, but you're an idiot.**

 **Cherry Bomb: You already tried to hurt me.**

 **Brit: I see.**

 **Brit: Clever girl.**

 **Brit: Or not.**

 **Brit: Then you are already aware of the danger you're in. I would suggest you don't go any further.**

 **Brit: If you value your life.**

 **Brit: Or the lives of your friends.**

 **Cherry Bomb: Are you making a threat?**

 **Brit: No. I'm giving you a warning. Stop scooby doo-ing the fuck around.**

This was moving too fast. Finally the realization of what all was going on hit you.

Your friends were murdered.

Their killer was chasing you.

Your new friends lives' were being endangered.

Maybe it was best that you stopped. It was safer.

Nathan read over your shoulder and you heard him give a calm, thoughtful hum before taking it from your hands and setting it on the coffee table. "(Y/N). This is dangerous. But whatever choice you make...Morgan was my friend. So was Jasper, and so are you. I'm going to back you up, and I know Natasha is too." "And so is Emilie!" Natasha chimed in. "You heard her yesterday. She's all for this." You stared at your friends, trying to process what was going on. And then it happened.

 ***Knowing your friends are going to help you, no matter what, fills you with DETERMINATION***

You snatched the phone off the table and began typing furiously.

 **Cherry Bomb: I'm going to get to the bottom of this.**

 **Cherry Bomb: Sorry not sorry.**

 **Cherry Bomb: I'm going to find out the truth for my friends, and you're going to pay. So do us all a favor, FUCK OFF.**

 **Brit: Fine.**

 **Brit: your funerals.**

Like, Zoinks Scoob, it looks like we can't catch a break!

It's official, the game is afoot! You've made your stand, dear readers, and there's no backing down now. You've put your life, and the lives of your friends on the line, but they chose to help you. Now you'll have to be fast on your feet unless you want to end up like those before you who tried to get in this killers way.

What, you actually thought you were the first? How cute.


	11. Missed me, missed me

Livid couldn't even describe how you felt right now. HOW DARE someone masquerade as your dead friend to try and keep you from solving their murder. If they thought this was going to get you to stop, they were damned wrong. "Looks like we can't back out now." Natasha said, though she was smiling. You needed, tucking your phone into your pocket. "Not that I would. Did these idiots really think they could murder my friends and that I would just stand there and take it?!" No, the irony of your words was not lost on you. Perhaps now, more than ever, you understood Sans' anger. "Then we need to get planning." Nathan said, getting to his feet. "First, we need to talk about Dawn and the others. it's still extremely likely the others are still caught here, and if we can find them, it may be easier to find their killer." "Then where do we start?" You asked, following him up stairs to his room. It's walls were painted a dark purple and his had bookshelves spilling over with books on the paranormal and the occult. He pulled one of them off and sat on his full sized bed, adjusting his glasses. "We need to set up a foundation, a map of the school where the guys are most likely to be. We know from your experience with Dawn that they can move somewhat freely, however, because they lost their lives at the school, they most likely cannot leave campus." You knew Nathan was into this, but his knowledge was really surprising you. You let out a long sigh and smiled up at him. "..Thanks Nate, really. I don't know what I would do without you guys here with me." "Don't thank us, you goober." Natasha pulled you down onto the floor and laid her head in your lap. "I was kinda a huge bitch to you before, recall? Count this as us thanking YOU. You chose to see good in me." "Anyone can be a good person, if they just try." You ran a hand through her hair as you both listened to Nathan continue on. Ghosts tended to stay in areas they spent a lot of time in while alive, like how you found Dawn in the bathroom in the main office. "So, what you're saying is we just need to pick out the places they went to a lot, and we should be able to find them?" You asked. Nathan nodded. "That's the easy part, or it SHOULD be. But since someone is following you, that may become a tad more difficult than it aught to be." Natasha snorted, adjusting herself in your lap. "Let them try to pull something. The minute they do they're going to have a bad fuckin' time." You laughed. Wow, even without him here, Sans' sure was popping up a lot. Nathan nodded. "Agreed. If they think we aren't fighting back, they have another thing coming. But we still need to try to be safe. So, that means that none of us, including Emilie, are going anywhere alone. We don't go to the restroom except during breaks between class. You girls go together and I can always just find an excuse to get Justin to come with me." "You can offer to suck his diiiiiiiiii-" Before Natasha could finish her sentence, Nathan used his foot to roll her off you, making her lay face down on the carpet. You laughed so hard your chest hurt and you knew your face had turned red. You were going to be okay. You just had to remember that. Everything was going to be okay...

You sat up in your bed, shivering violently. The room was freezing. You looked around the guest room Natasha and Nathan had set you up in, and at first you didn't see anything amiss. The lights were off, the bedroom door was closed, the window was open...wait. God dammit. You stayed perfectly still, becoming painfully aware of your surroundings. Every sound made your heart race and you hated to admit it but you were scared. You saw a movement in the corner of the room and closed your eyes so you could see a crack. You weren't going to let them take you out, not that easily. The person creeped closer to the bed and in the moonlight pouring in through the open window you saw that it was in fact the moron in the skeleton costume. Okay, fuck this guy. As soon as he was right over you you jolted up and grabbed the bedside lamp, ripping it out of the power socket and slamming it upside his head. The intruder screamed and you heard crashing upstairs and then the sound of the twins running down. You tried to grab hold of the masked guy, struggling with him and even biting him on the arm because FUCK fighting fair, but he was stronger than you and through you off. You groaned as your back hit the head board of the bed hard, and you just knew that was going to bruise. He ran and jumped out the window just as the twins came in. Natasha ran to to go after him, but her brother grabbed her by the back of the shirt and pulled her back in, slamming the window shut. "It's too dark and we are surrounding by woods, don't be stupid!" Natasha squirmed and grunted as he dropped her, a little too roughly. onto the ground. However she suddenly let out a cry of triumph and help up a slender gun. "Look what the fucker dropped!" "That's not all." You laughed weakly, pushing yourself off the bed and wincing. Your back was going to hurt for days. The twins looked at you, and with a shit eating grin that would rival Sans', you held up the skeleton mask.

We are getting close to a some important stuff, friends. A big reveal will be coming up soon.

I'm glad I've managed to get so many of you interested in this story. Don't worry, I promise there will be some fluff soon. After all, Tori knows that you had been made to commit genocide against your will. At some point she's going to make you tell her, and everyone else, the truth.


	12. The skeleton, Papyrus!

The entire ride back into town you held the mask in your hands, looking for anything, a tag or some sort of brand symbol to tell you where it had come from. But there was none. "There aren't many costume shops in town." Nathan said from the drivers seat. "We could probably spend the day checking them all. It shouldn't be too hard. And with us all together in broad daylight, we should be safe." "Yeah, you're right." Natasha nodded and looked back at you. "Hey, how's your back?" "Hurting like a mother trucker, but I'll live." You gave her a tired smile. Nobody had gotten sleep after what had happened. It was hard to believe this all had only started two days ago. "Have you checked in with Emilie" You asked her. Natasha nodded, holding up her phone. "She's noticed that she's been followed. Turns out her dad was a soldier. Her house is practically a fortress." "That's good." It really was reassuring. Emilie, though you hardly knew her at all, was your friend. Plus you needed her. But now that that part of your mind was at ease, the rest of it wonder back to Toriel, and Papyrus, and...Sans. Ugh! Even as an angry 8 year old, you had had a crush on the stupid comedian. It hadn't been a big deal, just a stupid child's crush. But seeing him now, it certainly wasn't a kids crush anymore. Those dumb puns and that stupid grin of his. Monster or human, it certainly didn't matter. You liked him. And he wanted you dead.

Why did your life have to be so damn hard?!

Why couldn't you like someone normal, like Nathan? Or why couldn't Justin be older? Ugh.

"...maybe..do you guys think I should tell them the truth? Toriel and them, I mean?" You asked, surprising your friends. Natasha instantly laughed. "Well duh! The less people who wants you dead, the better. Besides, it would take a lot of stress off you too. I say the sooner you do it, the better." "I have to agree." Nathan glanced back at you through the rear view mirror. "Plus it might be good for us. If they still have magic, which they clearly do if Grillby is anything to go by, they could be some serious help with this whole ghost thing. Maybe you should talk to Papyrus at school tomorrow, get him to let you meet with all the others, tell them what really happened." The idea made you terrified, but they were right. And it would be nice to get Sans to stop breathing down your neck. You didn't expect anything else. Just because he would know the truth didn't mean he would...your mind wandered back to Friday. The way he looked at you when you were dancing. That wasn't the expression of someone who wanted to hurt you...stupid. Don't get your hopes up. "So! Where are we starting? Party city?" You leaned forward a little, forcing a grin on your face a guy shoved all these stupid, day dreamy thoughts to the back of your head. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Nathan tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "There should be three party cities in town. After that there's only one legit costume shop." "Though I don't think we need to go to ALL the party cities." Natasha interjected. "If one doesn't sell it, neither will the others." "Good point, Sis." Nathan nodded. "We'll hit the costume shop first. I think it's near the Galleria mall." "Ugh. As long as we don't go near Forever21. Working in that store killed me inside." Worst job. Ever.

Nathan finally got back into town and headed straight towards the mall. You stared out the window tiredly, still struggling to keep those stupid intrusive thoughts out of you head. Romance. Bah. High school was hard enough without it. Especially right now. You didn't need distractions like that. You relaxed as Nathan pulled into the parking lot of the costume shop and you quickly hopped out, stretching. Then your back practically shrieked at you and you cringed. "Damn, that jerk was strong.." You rubbed your back tenderly and pushed the door open, smiling as you saw all the costumes and props hanging up all over the place. God, you loved costume shops. Even shitty ones like party city. You waited for Natasha and Nathan before, mask in hand, going up to the counter. The man behind it was an older gentlemen, balding white hair, a hooked nose and small spectacles. He smiles when he saw you. "Oh, did your friend send you to get a mask like his? It really isn't popular, but he seemed so content with it."

Damn. That was easy.

"Uh..no, actually." Nathan said, attempting to choose his words wisely. "...whoever bought this is...playing a rather mean prank. They've been following my little sister and her friend around wearing it. We were wondering if you knew who had bought it." The older man's expression grew grim and he pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. "Well, that isn't fun at all. And it's certainly not how I want my costumes to be used." He fixed his glasses. "I'm afraid I didn't catch his name, and he paid I cash. But I distinctively remember what he looked like. Handsome boy. Extremely tall, blond with brown eyes."

You felt the color drain from your face, and Natasha looked panicked as well. You turned to her, panic rising in your throats as you spoke. "...Papyrus?"

whaaaaaat? There's no way Papyrus was the guy...right? I mean, it makes no sense, why would he do such a thing?

Maybe, just maybe

u?

Sorry if this one is written a bit weird. It's been a while since I had to write on mobile.

Also, I promise, the actual romantic stuff is going to be starting soon! Sorry to make you all wait so long!


	13. Let's talk about SOULS

You sat silently in the doctors office, your grandmother sitting in a chair against the wall. When she saw the bruises on your back she FLIPPED, but even though she bought the story that you had fallen while hanging decorations, and you did bruise hella easily, she still wanted you to have a check up. Great, this is just what you needed. You had only been to the costume shop a few hours ago and your mind was swirling with questions. Papyrus? It couldn't have been him. He would never do anything like that. He probably didn't even know what a gun was! But he was the only one you knew who matched that description. Tall, blond haired, blue eyed boys weren't as common as people thought. "Good afternoon (Y/N)!" You looked up as the doctor came in. She was a Hispanic woman, middle aged, with long black hair, and she wore a stupidly bright shade of yellow eyeshadow that really did not go with her skin too. She was not a summer. "I'm Doctor Sanchez, your grandmother says that she wants me to give you a little check up!" Her tone gave you ear flash backs to the pacer test. So cheerful and perky, and fake. "Yeah, but I'm fine, honest." You sighed, trying to keep yourself from sounding annoyed. You were exhausted, physically and emotionally. "I;m sure you are, but it never hurts to take a checkup. Besides, our files are saying you haven't had a SOUL check in a very long time!"

Oh, right. A SOUL check. You hadn't had one since you were 8, and...that was bad. Especially because the last time, your doctor had been really worried. Something about your SOUL being in a very fragile condition. Not very shocking, as a SOUL could easily be affected by the holders surroundings. "Well can we hurry please?" You grumbled as Doctor Sanchez closed the door behind her and first did the usual. Shined a light into your ears and eyes, looked down your throat, took your tempt. Then she checked the bruises on your arms and had you remove your shirt to look at the ones on your back. Talk about awkward. "Ouch, this looked like it hurt. You said that you fell while putting up decorations..? This looks like you hit something hard-" "Wood." You cut her off, not liking her tone. "They have wood floors, and I was up decently high. It still hurts but I'm fine." "...Oh. Well, some regular old pain killers should be fine. Now, if you'll put that cute little shirt back on we can head on over to the x-ray room and take a look at that pretty SOUL of yours!" Oh, how you wanted to deck this lady. You slid your Life is Strange shirt back on over your head and hopped of the little examination table, following Doctor Sanchez out, your grandmother following. The x-ray room was very white, with one of those big machines you had to lay down in, which Sanchez immediately prompted you to do. Sighing you lay inside and the machine slowly closed around you. "Now, let me know if you start to get scared or anything!" Sanchez called. "Yeah, yeah." You knew you sounded rude, but this lady was annoying as heck. You could see out a little window that Sanchez was flipping through some papers on her clipboard, most likely your old files. "Alrighty! So, (Y/N), you know what a SOUL is, right?" "Of course." You replied, resisting the urge to add, 'I'm not freaking five'. "It's the culmination of a persons very being. Each person is born with a dominant SOUL trait and their personality will usually revolve around that." "Exactly!" Sanchez smiled. "Smart girl! Anyway, Last you got a check up, it looked like you had a fractured SOUL." A fractured SOUL? That did sound faintly familiar. "A person's SOULS can fracture due to dark emotions, such as sadness, despair, stress, and overall depression. A person with a fractured SOUL will often isolate themselves from others, experience constant fatigue, and will at times even become physically ill." Yeah, that sounded about right. "The good news is that a fractured SOUL can heal over time, with the correct care and some patience." The machine opened back up and Sanchez helped you out. She may have been annoying, but at least the lady actually knew her job. "I'm going to be honest with you and your grandmother, (Y/N), from what I see from your last check up, your SOUL had been horrendously fractured beyond what is usually expected of an eight year old little girl. It seems your previous doctor didn't expect you to live longer that ten years old, let alone sixteen." Well damn. "However, my guess is that somehow, you have made a remarkable recovery. We won't have the x-ray results for about ten minutes, so feel free to take a seat while we wait."

You sat in the hallway, messaging Natasha as you waited for the resulted. Your grandmother looked worried but didn't seem to know what to say. What could either of you say to news like that, really? _So hey, you were expected to have died, like, six years ago. Congrats on still being alive!_ Jesus Christ this week had really turned into a shit show.

 **(Y/N): Hey, you alive?**

 **Nat: Yeah. Me and Nathan are at the public library doing some research on ghosts. Emilie is supposed to meet with us. You wanna come?**

 **(Y/N): Can't. Grandmama dragged me to the doctors for a check up.**

 **(Y/N): Turns out my SOUL was so fucked up as a kid, the doctors didn't think I would live this long.**

 **Nat: Well, you showed them, didn't you?**

 **(Y/N): I guess? I mean, they could have been right? There was a time when I was nine that I had thought about..you know. Ending it. But I just..couldn't.**

 **Nat: Too many people to piss off in the world?**

 **(Y/N): Hah, exactly...I'm still freaking out.**

 **Nat: About Papyrus?**

 **(Y/N): Yeah.**

 **Nat: Me too. It makes no sense!**

 **(Y/N): Seriously! Papyrus has no reason to chase me through the streets wit a gun! Or sneak into the room while I was sleeping!**

 **(Y/N):...**

 **(Y/N): Okay, TECHNICALLY he has every reason and right to. I did decapitate him and kill his friends and brother. But this totally doesn't fit him! It's more something Sans might do, and even THAT is a stretch. This is getting hella crazy, and I'm not sure what to do now.**

 **Nat: We do what we planned. We find the others and make these bastards pay. For now, all you gotta do is avoid that masked psycho, and if it turns out he is Papyrus, well...we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.**

"(Y/N)?" You looked up from your phone as Doctor Sanchez opened the door. "We've got the results, come on back in."

You put your phone in your pocket, standing and holding the door for your grandmother. Once inside you sat back down as Sanchez stood on the far wall, pulling down a SOUL chart. "I was right, it looks like your SOUL has healed up nicely. It still suffers from some fracturing, but nothing serious. If you keep going on like you are now, your SOUL could be fully healed and stabilized by this time next year!" Heh, if only she knew. Sanchez pulled out a pointer and turned to face you and your grandmother. "Now, there is something very important that has happened to your SOUL that needs to be discussed, however." "What is it?" Your grandmother asked, reaching over to tightly grasp your hand. Hers was cold, as usual. "Is it bad, could she still get hurt?" "No, not at all! In fact, what has happened is incredibly rare, and very remarkable." Sanchez turned, pointing at the light blue SOUL on the chart. "As you mentioned before, (Y/N), everyone is born with a specific trait, and their personality will grow around this. You were born with PATIENCE. Now, as a person grows, they get more traits. These are usually formed through outside experiences, such as their environment and personal experiences. For example, looking at your background, we could guess that your SOUL could also gain the trait for PERSEVERANCE." She then pointed to another light blue SOUL, this one with a purple tint around it. "But, this isn't the case. In fact, what has happened to you has only been recorded four times in medical history, I have never seen it myself until now." "What is it, then?" Sanchez went to the desk in the corner of the room and when she returned she clipped your x-ray results onto the chart. What you saw made you thin back to that scene in the movie Sleeping Beauty, where the fairy god mothers were arguing about the color of the dress, and it was splattered with blue and pink, like paint. Your SOUL looked like this, only with light blue and vibrant red, fractured in about two places. "Your SOUL'S main trait is being slowly dominated by a totally new one. Your PATIENCE is slowly being replaced with DETERMINATION. If this continues, which it likely will, then PATIENCE will become your second strongest trait." No freaking way. You had never heard of this sort of thing before. But thinking back to the last few days, it made sense..you had felt yourself being filled with DETERMINATION. "How does something like that happen?" Your grandmother asked, clearly relieved but still concerned. "And does it cause anything, like negative side affects?" "Like I said before, something like this is rare, however I suppose it can be best explained the same way as a SOUL gaining any new trait as a person ages. From the few cases scientists have seen, this can be caused by experiences, though normally these experiences are awful traumatic. (Y/N) actually fits this perfectly. Her background with her birth parents, with foster care her fractured SOUL. (Y/N), somewhere along the line, you grew determined. Determined to live. This DETERMINATION saved your life."

Heyoooo.

Originally chapter thirteen was just going to take place at school and continue the ghost hunting, however I realized, hey, we should probably explain why the reader is suddenly feeling DETERMINED. Well, here's your answer! The idea for fractured SOULS isn't mine, it was created by deviantart user Bunnymuse for their Blind! Gaster AU, however I realized that this really could be a thing in an Undertale universe.

As for SOULS gaining multiple traits as a person grows, that is all me. While I can totally buy into a person having one specific trait when they're born, we all a person is never just ONE thing. While thinking this over when I originally started this fic, I thought that maybe SOULS could, like someone's mental state, because heavily affected by experiences, and depending on how heavily the person was affected, maybe their SOUL would be changed so drastically their original trait could be rewritten, essentially.

This also means that reader-chan's SOUL becoming DETERMINED is not a recent thing. In fact, this change was triggered the day they decided against 'putting an end to it all'. They were suddenly determined to live. For what reason, we don't know yet. It could be, like Natasha suggested, to piss off everyone who thought they couldn't make it, or perhaps it was another reason entirely.

Either way, this change is affecting reader-chan in drastic ways, them attacking their stalker with a lamp in chapter eleven being one example. Another example? Well, the fight they had with their deceased friends, but that's the only spoiler you're getting in that regard!


	14. Let have a little heart to heart

The school felt like it was in the middle of the zombie apocalypse, students shuffling around with tired, blank expressions, and the few who did talk spoke in quiet, frantic whispers. This was finals week, and you had completely forgotten. "I am going to bomb so bad." You said to Emilie as you both stood at your locker,putting your bag inside. "With everything going on, finals totally slipped my mind. I'm not even going to be able to concentrate at all." "I totally feel you." Emilie sighed, adjusting her glasses. "Though for me, it's more because I literally JUST transferred here, I have no idea what your finals will be covering! It's crap that I still have to take these tests or risk failing the year." Emilie was right. You had so many issues with standardized testing, it wasn't even funny. You cursed under your breath as you closed your locker and bent down, attempting to zip up your left, knee high converse. Emilie blinked and tilted her head. "Why didn't you do that before you got to school today? Or is it stuck?" "Stuck." You replied, wincing as the zipper hurt your fingers. Great, just what you needed more, pain. Your back still hurt like a bitch and the bruises on your arms hadn't even started fading yet. Emilie snickered and knelt down, taking the zipper from you and beginning to try. "Why didn't you just change shoes before you left?" "Because I panicked about finals and was too lazy to." This made Emilie laugh more, but she struggled, unable to zip the shoe. "What the hell Cherry bomb? Did you super glue this or..oh. Crap. Sorry." Her face turned a little red as she realized what she called you, however you just laughed it off. "go ahead. Emilie. It IS my nickname, after all. I don't think you're going to be able to do it." Emilie pouted and stepped back, and that's when Justin, the dork, slid over to you on his knees and went straight to work on your shoe. It was hysterical, and suddenly all three of you were laughing. This was contagious, as soon the hallway was full of laughter as people crowded around to watch and try their hand at the zipper, even Tammy of all people! It was so weird to have her actually having some form of interaction with you and laughing in a non-snide way. You covered you mouth, laughing so hard you were snorting, and spotted Sans and Papyrus staring at this totally weird scene before them. Papyrus himself was laughing, but Sans was staring at you with that same weird expression he had when you were dancing a few days ago. Blue was tinting his cheeks and you thought his eyes looked different, but he was still too far away for you to tell was the difference was. Finally laughing too hard, Tammy got to her feet, shaking her head. "God, (Y/N), get some better shoes! Those things are totally lost." With that she walked away, laughing still. This seemed to be the end of this strange, funny moment in life as the rest of the students began to splinter back into their own groups. At least you were able to offer a small distraction from the horror that is finals.

"Welp, that was a sight I was not prepared for." You jumped slightly at the voice and looked down to see Sans leaning against the lockers between you and Emilie. Papyrus was starting to head over, but his brother waved him to go in the other direction, towards class. Pouting, the tall blond did was he was told, waving to you before going on his way. You silently thanked Sans. You just...you couldn't be around Papyrus right now. Not until you were sure. "Yeah...welcome to the surface, and welcome to Addison high school. Silly antics are pretty normal, it's only low key because of finals." "Finals, yeah. Our teachers told us about those. A big deal, huh?" Oh boy. You took a deep breath, nodding. "Every state has their own form of finals. A one size fits all test that doesn't take into account learning types or disabilities of students. Not to mention it ignores the fact that studies show students don't remember things they learn just for a test. We start getting ready for this test early on in the school year, teachers being forced to put aside what they SHOULD be teaching us in favor of what the test is going to be on, and the schools entire financial standing is set up on this test, because...I don't know? If you can't pass the test you don't need the money? Or if you don't pass the test then we need to make the test harder, making it more difficult for the same kids to pass the test?" You paused, realizing you were ranting and looked down at Sans, who was staring up at you with a confused expression. "Sorry, I must be getting you confused. I just...I REALLY hate these tests. They've been the bane of my educational existence. It doesn't matter how good your grades are, if you fail these tests, you fail the entire grade. They cause stress, get students to the point they dread going to school, make...sorry. Sorry, I'm rambling again."

You watched as Sans knelt down, zipping your shoe up with ease. Oooh, you were almost bitter. He looked up at you and gave a wink and a shrug. "Mmmmmagic. Anyway," He got to his feet and dusted off his gym shorts. "Tori told me what you said to her, at that book store." FuuuuuuuuuUUUUUUU- "So, it was against your will, huh? I hope you aren't lying to us, (Y/N). You've already broken Toriel's...our hearts, once." HOLD UP. WAIT A MINUTE. LET ME PUT SOME BOOM IN IT. "Wait, whaaaaat?" You blinked. "Look, kid, just tell me th h." His tone sounded like the one he had when he was warning you about fighting Papyrus. You looked at Emilie for help but she held her hands up, slowly backing away. Honestly it was probably for the best, Sans might snap on her if she tried to intervene. "I'm done playing around." Okay, okay, you needed to deflate the situation. Maybe a joke..? "Hi, Done Playing around, I'm Cherry Bomb!" Sans stared at you, and you could hear laughter rumbling in his chest. He slumped against the lockers, running a hand down his face. He looked up at you between his fingers. "See? THAT is what I'm talking about." He chuckled a little and lowered his hand, putting it in his pocket. "(Y/N), I need to know, for everyone's sake. Which you is the real you?"

The real you? What the heck was that supposed to mean? The only you was you. Sans seemed to see the confusion on your face, as he continued on. "About eight years ago all I saw was some snot nosed brat who killed everyone I cared about. It didn't matter how we treated you, you just didn't care. One by one you murdered us. I always believed that was just how you were, how you would always be. Now? I'm not so sure, and it's pissing me off." Okay, you might need to make a break for it. You glanced past him. Natasha and Emilie were peering at you around the corner. "...Okay, I'll bite funny bones. What do you see now?" "Now? Now I see this teen aged dork who can't dance or zip her own shoes, and has an infuriatingly cute laugh. And every time I see her I get more and more pissed because she's NOTHING like the little brat who killed my brother." he spoke through a clenched grin. You took a step back. Staying was not a good option right now, you were sure. "Sans, I-" "So tell me, 'Cherry Bomb', for everyone's sake. Which is it?" Oh crap. You kinda side stepped away from him. Your heart was racing and you had so many conflicting emotions right now. "Sans, I just...I can't right now." Your foot pivoted against the floor as you prepared to run for it, however you found that you suddenly couldn't move. Your eyes trailed down and you saw that a blue light had engulfed you. Oh no. Slowly you were turned to face the short boy, and he did not look happy at all. Looks like he took your avoiding the question as the wrong answer. "You think it's fun messin' with other people's hearts? Well, sorry kiddo." He snapped his fingers and you felt your SOUL forcibly pulled from your chest, the fight screen appearing before you. It had been years since you had seen this thing, you felt a panic attack coming. Just like when he was a monster, Sans' eyes had turned bitch black, empty, except for a single flashing light in his right eye. "Two can play at that game." He then raised his hand, and then paused, staring at your SOUL.

It was the size of any other SOUL, but it was obvious he had never seen one like this before. Neither had you, until yesterday. The blue and red were still mashed together and you saw two large cracks. Sans lowered his hand a little, brow furrowed, and while he was distracted, his power keeping you in place dissolved. "...Sans? I am NOT going to fight you." ***Your resolve to spare your crush fills you with DETERMINATION*** Wait, crush? To hell, whatever! You both gawked as your SOUL began to pulse and the red slowly creeped over the blue, claiming more territory. With this new surge of power you slammed your hand down on that MERCY button and the menu shattered. Sans gawked as Natasha then ran around the corner, blowing Sans a kiss as you both fled. You couldn't help but laugh as you did the same, and flipped him the bird.

Here's a gif for the last paragraph. giphy

Well, it wasn't exactly fluff, but Sans has made his..complicated, feelings known. This certainly didn't help, but now you have more of a reason to tell him the truth! However, this isn't the most important thing on your mind at the moment. You gotta find your friends, and pass your exams! But you're going to have to tell everyone the truth a lot sooner than you think.


	15. You probably bombed your finals

You, Natasha, Nate, and Emilie trudged out of the room where the finals were being held. You all looked exhausted and angry. You were all sure you had failed today's tests. It wasn't even the ghosts that were distracting you for the past 6 hours, but what had happened that morning with Sans. You needed to tell him, and everyone, the truth. Soon. Or else you could get seriously messed up. But first, you needed to save your friends. "Where are we heading?" Nathan asked as you guys left the English building and headed towards math and science. "We're going to go find Morgan. He wanted to be a vet, and spent all his free time on the animal science farm. So, we're bound to find him there." You pushed the doors open and headed down the hallway towards the animal science lab. Once inside you actually found Hazel, sitting in the empty classroom and reading from a large textbook. She glanced up, surprised when she saw you all coming in. "Oh, hey guys! I'm just in here studying for my college exam. Do you need something? Am I in the way?" "College exam?" You furrowed your brow, surprised. Well, not too surprised. Hazel was a smart girl..not counting her choice in friends. Her smile grew and she beamed with pride. "yes! I am already taking a robotics course at the local community college! We also have some exams coming up, and this was a nice quiet place to study." "Oh! That's so cool!" Nathan smiled. "Well, we know you'll do fine, Hazel. We're just heading out to the farm, we promised Ms. Halsaw we would care for the goats this week. Please don't let us interrupt your studies." You all waved and left the classroom through the back door, which led you outside to a dirt road. It was only 3:30, the sun was still out and it was nice and warm outside. "It should take us twenty minutes to get to the farm." Nathan said, squinting into the sunlight as he looked around. "That means twenty minutes where we're out in the open. Everyone keep an eye out." With that the group headed out, everyone's eyes darting around to make sure they weren't being followed. Too bad you guys didn't look hard enough.

"Are you okay?" Emilie asked, falling in step beside you. "I'm sorry I bailed, it's just-" "You wouldn't have been able to help." You reassured her, shoving your hands in your pants pockets. "Trust me, you couldn't have done anything, Em. This is between me and Sans, and I can't run forever." "Right." Nathan glanced back at you, he had taken the lead. "The sooner you tell them the truth, the better, (Y/N)." He was right, you had to admit it. Maybe after you talk to Morgan... "What was he like?" Emilie brought you out of your thoughts. "Who? Sans?" "Well, sure, him too. But I meant Morgan." Oh. You shrugged, smiling a little. "Morgan? Okay, let's be honest. Look wise, Morgan was HOT, and personality wise? I might have dated him, but he was SO into Dawn." Emilie snickered as you spoke. "Morgan was hella smart, and even though he acted all, you know, hardcore and intimidating, he was totally a softie. We met in animal science. I was the only one who let our class rabbit, Mia, sit on my jacket when she sat on the table, uh, rabbits have soft little toe beans and surfaces like classroom tables will make them slip around. I caught Morgan's attention that way. He started asking me to be his partner during group projects, and we just sort of became friends." "And Sans?" Emilie sounded especially interested in learning about Sans. Where do you even start? "Sans..is...a complicated guy." You started and leaned your head back, watching the clouds roll past. "He's...god, I don't even know how to describe him. He's friendly..if you aren't me, heh. He's hilarious, but then again I'm easily won over my horrible puns. And Sans is...smart. Scary smart. He knows a lot more than he leads on, even Chara admitted how..how dangerous Sans is." You let out a sigh. "I really need to do right by him, or I'm dead."

You finally arrived at the farm and looked around. A single cow grazed in a fenced field. The goats could be seen moving about in their pens and you could hear the pigs eating. Morgan had to be here somewhere. "Okay, Em, we're going to need your pretty eyes." Natasha said, and you could have sworn you saw Emilie blush. Awww. Emilie nodded and got ahead of everyone, looking around with squinted eyes. As she did this, you headed towards the goat pen to look around. Everything looked the same as the last time you were here, which was months ago. Feeling something touching you, you looked down to see a black and white goat nibbling your sleeve. "Aww, hi Zelda! It's been a while, baby goat." Zelda wasn't actually a baby, she was just small. And fierce. You laughed a little as you thought back to last year. Some football players had thought it was fun to scare some of the goats into fainting, and Zelda wasn't having it. She sent them packing with a decent number of bruises. Zelda sniffed at your hand before getting back to gnawing on the sleeve of your undershirt. You gigled, stroking her head with your other hand. You kinda remind me of goat mom...I miss her so much." You sighed, leaning on the gate. Suddenly Zelda reared back, letting out a shrill goat scream. You turned and shrieked yourself, just barely dodging a knife. It was your little tag along, and now he wore a plain hockey mask. Kinda lame. "WILL YOU TAKE A HINT!" You backed away quickly, not taking your eyes off the guy. He certainly was tall, tall enough to be Papyrus, and they had the same body type..the dude didn't make a sound, lunging at you again. Okay, now you did turn, leaning forward as you pushed your feet off, the ground, breaking into a full blown sprint. You needed to get to the others, he couldn't take all of you on! Especially not a football player like Nathan. "I AM SO FUCKING SICK OF YOU, DUDE!" You pumped your arms and legs as hard as you could, looking around frantically for the others, but they were no where in sight. Awful thoughts started to fill your head. Had he picked them off one by one? Were all your other friends dead now too? You glanced back and yelped as he nearly grabbed you by the back of your shirt. Skidding to a stop, you dropped down. This caused the stalker to trip over you due to his momentum, and once he hit the ground you were running back the other way. You couldn't let these thoughts get to you. You were in danger, you needed to hide! But god, you were not athletic. Your lungs burned and your chest hurt, you could feel your legs going weak. You could hear him running behind you again. Tears stung your eyes as you felt yourself slowing down. The wound from your back was taking its toll. You screamed when you were jerked back by your shirts collar, flung hard onto the ground. All you could see was the shine of the knife as it reflected the sun, and you reached out, shielding yourself with your hands. "PAPYRUS, PLEASE!"

uh oh.


	16. The truth finally comes out

A sob managed to escape your throat as you lay there, trying to shield yourself from your attacker. "PAPYRUS, PLEASE!" Suddenly you felt a sharp pain in your chest, but opening your eyes you saw that you hadn't been stabbed, your chest just hurt. You also saw that your attacker had been waiting. Waiting for you to open your eyes. The bastard, he wanted you watching when he killed you. Oh god...what was going to happen now? You were so close..so close. You could have solved your friends murders. You could have told mom and the others the truth. What was going to happen to them now? Of course Natasha would tell Sans and them about Chara. Too bad they would have to find out after you were dead, it would break Toriel's heart. And what about Sans? What would happen once he found out Papyrus was your killer? "(Y/N)!" Both you and your attacker were started when you heard someone call your name, but your spirits lifted when you saw him running towards you. "DO NOT LET THIS FIEND HAVE HIS WAY WITH YOU!"

Papyrus!

 ***Knowing your..your friend is not trying to kill you fills you with DETERMINATION***

You let out a scream as your attacker swung his hand down, fully intending you end your life, and you just managed to roll out of the way. This caused their knife to get caught in the grass, and before the had the chance to pull it out you kicked the man in the face and then scrambled to your feet, kicking him again hard as you let go of the knife to grab his face. Yelling in anger, he stood and lunged for you, only to be tackled by Papyrus. They rolled around on the ground before the sound of a roaring engine made them both stop. Distracted, the attacker kicked Papyrus off and stood, watching as Papyrus' eyes took on a faint, orange glow ad bones began to materialize from the ground. As this happened, you saw his human appearance shimmer and then slowly fade, revealing his true skeleton appearance. You could tell by the mans body language that he was surprised, and you were two when you heard both Toriel and Sans calling for you. You turned to see them running towards the small farm, however out of the corner of your eye you saw a beat up truck driving full speed towards you. "Well, isn't that a surprise." You were startled when the man spoke, and then you clenched your fists. "So the bastard speaks." "I'm shocked, really I am. The monsters you slaughtered with no mercy have come to your rescue? I don't know if I should find this heart warming, or pathetic. What do you think, Cherry Bomb?" What..the hell? How did this guy know all that?! "Who are you?!" You demanded, taking a step towards him. However you were suddenly jerked back by Toriel, who had summoned a flame in her other hand. She too had reverted back to her monster form. The man merely laughed and when the truck got between you all, he jumped onto the back and sped off. Damn, he wasn't working alone. You felt Toriel's grip on you tighten and you looked up to see her staring down at you sternly. You had forgotten how huge she was. "(Y/N). You are going to tell us everything, and I mean EVERYTHING." Oh dear...it looked like you couldn't avoid this anymore. Papyrus jogged up to you, and you could tell he was pretty upset too. "I knew it! Someone WAS trying to hurt you, that fire was no accident at all!" You were quickly picked up, Papyrus holding you under your arms like a doll. "HUMAN, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?! YOU WERE ALMOST KILLED!" "Calm down, bro." Sans had finally reached you all, and though he walked with a nonchalant demeanor, his own eye was flashing between blue and yellow. "She's going to tell us, isn't that right Cherry Bomb?" Even now, you could hear the threat laced in his voice. Before you could respond, Natasha, Nathan, and Emilie burst out of the barn. You noted that when the doors slammed open, a broom was broken in half and sent flying. They had been locked in. "CHERRY BOMB! WE FOUND MORGAN AND GOT LOCKED-oh." Emilie skidded to a halt along with the others, and now there was an uncomfortable silence. "Everything." Toriel repeated, breaking the silence.

"Papyrus, I can walk.." You sighed as Papyrus carried you into the barn. However he didn't even say anything, and it dawned on you just how angry he was. Jesus Christ, this situation was actually terrifying. Once inside he sat you down on a barrel and Toriel went to work on healing the scrapes you had gotten while trying to escape your attacker. She frowned when she saw the bruises on your arms. "(Y/N), what have you gotten yourself into." Wow, it had been a while since someone had spoken to you in such a..mother tone. Sure, your grandmother had tried, but it just hadn't worked. By the time she had gotten custody of you, you had known her as Grandmama for too long. Treating her like a mom would have just been..weird. "It's...a long story..mom." You said the last word warily. Despite the moment the two of you had shared in the bookstore, you still weren't...sure. "Then you had better get started, and I want you to start at the beginning. That means when you fell." Shit. Sans plopped down onto some hay, pulling a ketchup bottle out of his hoodie. Snapping his fingers, his human form quickly dissolved and he gave you a wink. "Yeah, come on Cherry. You claimed somebody made you do it. So, who?" You really didn't like the way he used your nickname. There was malice behind it and you had to admit you kinda wanted to sock that stupid grin off his face. However, Nathan gave you a look and shook his head, sitting on the ground. Refusing to get her pants dirty, Natasha sat on her brothers lap. Emilie decided she wanted to be by your side, and at the foot of the barrel. You appreciated the silent reassurance that you were not alone. You ran a hand down your face and took a deep breath. "...When I fell UNDERGROUND, I had been running away from my foster parents." "Foster..parents?" Toriel furrowed her brow and you groaned internally. Of course they wouldn't know the term. "A foster family is a family made up of parents, sometimes their birth children, and then other kids. Kids who's birth parents, for some reason, are unable to take care of their child. Foster parents are _supposed_ to tale care of and protect these kids, but most...well, we can get into the details of how royally screwed up our foster care system is later. The issue was my foster parents. They were..very bad people. So the first chance I got, I ran, and that's how I ended up falling UNDERGROUND." This really was awkward. Papyrus was staring at you intently, and then he walked over, standing by your side, and held your hand loosely. The whole time Sans kept an eye on you, as if he were waiting. You knew what he was waiting for. "So I was right...you were hurting, that's the only reason you hurt us." "(Y/N), why didn't you tell me?' Toriel asked, the anger on her face being replaced with concern. You shook your head. "You don't trust adults when you're in the foster system. It's a silent rule we kids have. That should give you enough of an idea of how bad that thing is. You only trust other kids. That's why I..." You trailed off. How could you tell her? How could you tell Toriel that her deceased child had possessed you, used your body to go on a killing spree with no second thought? Again Nathan gave you a look. He was right, you couldn't hide the truth anymore.

"Human SOULS, you know how they can exist outside the body for a while once it dies?" You asked, and Toriel nodded. Behind her you saw Sans tense up. Did he know what was coming. "Well...it started with Flowey. I had never liked him, and I was stupid for ever listening. But he told me that..he had a friend who could help me. They were...they had already died, so they didn't have to worry about rules or adults. And that's when he introduced me to...Chara." The air in the room grew tense and you had ti resist the urge to run. Toriel grabbed your hands, staring you in the eyes. "Chara?! Are you-" "It was a little kid with brown hair, rosy cheeks, and red eyes. They wore a green and yellow sweater, and yes, they introduced themselves as Chara." You cut her off. Now Sans had gotten to his feet, taking a drink from his bottle before sighing. "...She's tellin' the truth, Tori. I'll..I'll explain later. Keep talkin' kid. I want to know everything." There was some comfort in the fact that he knew what you were talking about, that he believed you. Even the edge in his voice was gone. Now he just sounded..tired. "...They said they could..'help' me. Keep me safe. Make sure no adult ever hurt me again, all they needed was to borrow my body. Hell, they even said if they could use me to talk to you and Asgore, then they could convince him to stop collecting SOULS. They could find another way to break the barrier and..everyone would be happy." You looked up at Toriel. "..I know I didn't act like it, but deep down..I loved you, mom, and I just wanted you to be happy. So even though I rejected their offer at first, they just kept trying. They found my fears, my guilt, and they picked at it and picked at it until I would do anything they asked. And when I gave them my body to use, they..." You trailed off. Toriel looked like she was going to cry, but instead she surprised you by wrapping her arms around you and holding you tight. "My child..my little girl...I am so sorry I doubted you. I saw there was pain in you, and I..I didn't try hard enough to help you. Please forgive me." "Mom..." You held her back, struggling to not cry again. "Mom, you have nothing to apologize for. It was still my fault. I was weak, I let them-" "You were dying, (Y/N)." The sound of Morgan's voice startled you, and you jerked away from Toriel to see that Emilie had placed a hand on your leg, allowing you to see the tall African American boy who stood in the corner, his expression solemn. Judging by the monsters expressions, you guessed they could see him too. It must have been a monster thing. Or a magic thing. Papyrus was extremely surprised. "You..you're one of the students who died in that fire, aren't you? Why are you here? And what do you mean, (y/N) was...dying?" "I have a fractured SOUL." You sighed, looking up at the tall skeleton. Alarm quickly came across his face and you were quick to inform him that you were okay now. "I'm practically healed! Just one or two cracks. Nothing that will kill me. But, yeah..back then I was..my SOUL was a mess. My doctor says it's pretty much a miracle I survived." You realized that they must not have noticed the pitiful state of your SOUL when you had fought each of them..except Sans. Thinking back to the one fight you had, you faintly remembered this..startled expression he had. He had the same look on his face now. Toriel had begun to weep and you just didn't know how to react. How could you comfort when you were the cause of her distress. Morgan sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. You knew what was coming next. It was time to talk about the true issue at hand. The murder.

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

WE DID IT.

WE ARE HERE.

Seriously. This chapter was my goal. I mean, I have every intention to finish this fic, but in case something happened and I couldn't, this chapter was my goal to at least reach. There's still a bit of a ways to go until we're finished though. You've only found two of your friends ghosts. That leaves 4 more to track down, and you now know more than one person is working against you.

On the bright side, the monsters, or at least three of them, now know the truth, so you've got plenty of help. And Sans seemed to accept your story very easily. There must be something going on on his end.


	17. What happens behind closed doors

You gently pulled away from Toriel, giving your mom a kiss on the snout before you got off the barrel. Morgan watched with a tired expression as you took Emilie's hand, pulling her off the ground and making your way towards him. Natasha and Nathan stood, following, and they each grabbed her free hand. With this, everyone could see the ghost boy. You gave him an awkward smile. "With that out of the way...I think i owe you a proper hello...'sup, Morgue." "'Sup, monster girl. And.." Morgan paused and ran a hand down his face before smiling. "And I owe you a proper apology, for what I said during that fight." You shook your head, holding up your free hand to silence him. "Dude, do not even start. I've already been through this was Dawn. What happened doesn't matter-" "No, Cherry Bomb. It matters." He cut you off. "In more ways than you think." Your blinked and tilted your head at him. Toriel slowly made her way over. "Fight? What are you talking about, who is this?" "This is Morgan, he is a very good friend of mine. And the fight was stupid-" "The fight was started because we were doing bad things." Morgan turned to Toriel. "We..were bullied a lot. And at some point two years ago we got sick of it, and our friend Kent convinced everyone to fight back..everyone but (Y/N). She called us out on all the mean things we were doing, hiding peoples things, messing with their grades. She told u how we were only going to make things worse, and deep down we knew she was right, we just...didn't want to admit it. We were so tired of being pushed around just because we were different. It never crossed our minds that we were becoming just as bad as our bullies." Morgan looked down, ashamed. You sighed, struggling not to roll your eyes. Looking back, yeah, you still stood by your stance against what they had been doing, but you thought the whole thing was so stupid now. And you told Morgan so. "It was dumb, the whole thing. And I'm sorry for what I said, it was uncalled for. I could never regret being friends with any of you...except Kent." "You had every right to say it. We were...awful to you during that fight. And we just stood by and let you get hurt. We were horrible friends, especially after you brought us all together." Hold up, what? This actually made you laugh. "Morgue, dude. Kent brought everyone together, not me. He made our weird little club." But Morgan only shook his head.

"(Y/N), he gave us a name and a place to hang out. But you were friends with all of us before Kent came around. Dawn may have been the one to bring out the good in you, but you made the conscious choice to seek us out when you saw us being singled out. You brought us together and gave us somewhere to belong. We never ever should have treated you like we did." You felt your face heat up and blushed even harder when Toriel hugged you. You could just see the pride in her face. "And like I said, that fight matters in more ways than you think." Morgan continued. "It triggered everything." What? "But..how?" You asked, frowning. This was not something you expected to hear. Morgan nodded. "I can't tell you everything. I'm sorry, I know this is frustrating but...in the past two years, your new friend isn't the only one who could see us. And when we told them everything they got 'deal with', fast. It's safer for you this way." Emilie wasn't the first. You tried to think back to any strange deaths that had occurred in the last two years. Natasha spoke up. "there...was that whole group that went missing during a school hiking trip in the grand canyon. That was a serious nightmare..." "The only other accident I can recall is that car crash on prom night last year." You said, thinking. "Like...6 kids..died. Holy..they're killing more than just people who can see you." This was..disgusting. You felt like you were going to be sick. These bastards..killed so many innocent people. "I know. It was...awful. There was nothing we could. But please, let me help and tell you as much as I can." "(Y/N), what is going on?" Toriel squeezed your shoulders gently, and blinked, moving your shirt gently as you winced. She gasped when she saw yet more bruises. Great, now Toriel was getting seriously worried. "This kid, and about 5 more died two years ago in a fire." Sans said, seeming to recall that assembly on Thursday. "But..the principal said it was an accident." "Well, it wasn't." Morgan scowled now. "Someone locked the doors..sort of? The knobs could turn but the doors wouldn't open. We couldn't get out. That stupid locker room didn't have windows." "We only just found out about it last week." Natasha explained to the monsters. "The day of the assembly." "The fire.." papyrus muttered, and you were surprised at how quiet he was being. Emilie nodded. "We were in the bathroom talking to Dawn when the fire started. She was the first ghost we found." "And yet somebody already knew that you could see and talk to her." The corners of Sans' permanent smile tilted downward slightly, and his sockets had turned into a pitch black void. "They knew, and they tried to get rid of you as early as possible." "yes, and it's someone you girls know." Morgan said. You sighed, nodding. "I figured, after what that creep outside said." This caused Morgan to smirk a little. "I saw what went down. I'm so sorry I couldn't help. But once you pulled yourself together, you kicked butt. Like I always say, fuck pacifism." Toriel frowned at the language but Morgan merely laughed. Sans didn't see, too happy about the swearing in front of his brother, either. Still, that wasn't important right now. You bit your lip, thinking. "Okay, so far we know this. The fire two years ago wasn't an accident. Someone locked you inside, and somehow got the fire to spread to the old locker room. It's someone we know, and they're not working alone. And somehow..our fight triggered this?" Morgan nodded. "Rather, you calling us out triggered it. You pissed somebody off, Monster girl, and they have friends." You groaned, rubbing your temple with your free hand. "This...is incredibly stupid. So I called you guys out for acting like bullies, and this idiot starts mass murdering?" Morgan nodded. "kinda..let's just say..murder wasn't the original plan of ONE person involved. But that's all I can tell you now." Okay..you knew more than you did before. A lot more, actually. This was somebody you knew. That was important information. You gave Morgan a smile. "Thanks Morgue...and I still don't mean what I said. You're one of my best friends, and I AM going to get to the bottom of this!" "I know, Monster girl." He smiled back at you, though sadly. "And you're one of my best friends too...be safe. If you gotta, take these bastards out. Fuck pacifism."

With that, you let go of Emilie's hand, as did Natasha and Nathan. You turned to look back up at Toriel, who looked so very worried, however she sighed and shook her head. "..I can already tell there's no talking you out of this. And honestly, I don't want to stop you. But you children aren't doing this alone. Let's get you to my home. We're going to talk to everyone else, and fix your back." "Let's save that for tomorrow, Tori." Sans said, winking up at the goat mom. "I think they need some rest. In fact, I'm gonna go treat (Y/N) to some food."

Okay, not a lot of new details have been revealed, but enough. Let's go over what we know!

1\. The fires weren't an accident, either of them.

2\. Whoever caused them knows how A, keep doors locked without tampering with the physical lock, and B, can make wires short circuit to start fires.

3\. Somehow got the fire to spread without others noticing. So this was very planned.

4\. You know them.

5\. There's multiple people working against you.

6\. There were others at the school who could see your friends. They, and anyone unlucky enough to be with them, died.

7\. Last, your fight with your friends triggered this.

Sadly, there still isn't a suspect in sight.

Also, you and Sansy boy getting dinner together. huuuuh~

Non connected, I may start a Hellboy/Silent hill crossover. Anyone interested?


	18. DATING START

Well, this was mildly awkward. Toriel hadn't been too keen on just leaving you, however Sans, and even Papyrus assured her that you would be fine. In fact, Papyrus insisted that you and Sans needed to spend some time together. "Things have been extremely tense between them after what happened back UNDERGROUND!" He had said. "They need this time to heal and rekindle their friendship!" Not that you two had ever had one. Sure, when you first fell Sans had tried, but quickly saw it as a waste of time. Still, this worked, and now you were leaving the animal science farm with Sans, back in his human form. "So...I was right? You are using some kind of magic for that?" "Yeop." Sans replied, still drinking from his ketchup bottle. It was good to see some things hadn't changed. In fact, besides looks, he hadn't seemed to change at all. "However, looking like this uses a ton of magic. A _skele-ton_ , you might say." He gave you a wink and a shrug, and his cheeks were tinged with blue as you covered your mouth, giggling. "Anyway, since it takes so much magic, we can't do anything else involving our magic and hold these forms at the same time. Hence why Paps regained his monster form when he protected you." "Okay, but why do you guys even look like this?" You asked, and Sans shrugged. "Safety, I guess? Asgore suggested we start small. So the only people actually walking around as monsters are him and the members of the royal guard. He's currently talking to your, eh, president about our rights. The kid who saved us, Frisk, is our little ambassador. Once things get started officially we can start to fully integrate into society. Why do you ask?" Sans grin grew slightly. "What's wrong? Don't like how I look?" "N-No! I mean..yes, I like how you look...either way. You look nice, either way." Sans had clearly said that in an attempt to rile you up, but now you were both looking away awkwardly, blushing. You both still had about 12 minutes until you got back to the school and you prayed this the entire walk wouldn't be like this. You decided to keep asking questions. "Sooo...high school?" "Technically me and Papyrus are way past the high school age..I mean, you would be dead if you were our age. But..we know so little about the world now, Toriel suggested it, and Papyrus really wanted to. Though this really isn't how I expected things to go. It's almost like out of Alphys' animes.." "Heh..yeah." You smiled, understanding. Poor guy, this was probably just about as stressful for him as it was you. "...So, what about you? How was your life before all..this, started?" Sans asked, finishing his bottle and sticking it in his jacket pocket to throw away later. You blinked and shrugged. "I was...okay? I guess I can't say good. I was still picking up the pieces after what had happened with the fire...Dawn, Morgan, the others, they were the first friends I'd ever had. Dawn made me realize I could be good. She drove me to make myself happier. When everyone died, it was like my whole world had fallen apart...I guess now I understand how you felt." Sans tensed at that a little and you saw him avert his eyes. Crap. You went to say something but he cut you off. "fergitaboutit. As much as it mildly gets under my skin, heh, to admit it after all these years..it wasn't your fault. You were a kid. You were hurt and scared, and that little brat is good at tricks. Frisk learned that too." Wait, they did? Sans saw your confusion and sighed. "See, UNDERGROUND, when you have DETERMINATION, you get the ability to save your progression, and restart whatever you were doing. Who knows how many times the kid was down there, how many times they freed us, and..killed us. I know Chara was involved, but I also know they weren't at first. Not during the first genocide. I don't really have memories of the other times, but I'm aware of them...I don't know if we're going to stay up here. And I don't know if I can trust the kid. But..I do know something." "..What?" You asked. ..poor Sans. "That I'm not just going to stand there and take it. I don't know how but..if the kid tries to restart again, I can't let them. I can't let everyone lose their happy ending...we can't lose you."

Oh god, that really got you in the gut. Your face felt like it was on fire and you began to fidget awkwardly, looking down as you walked. Sans must have noticed because you heard him chuckle. "I'm bein' serious here, (Y/N). Things may be tough right now, but Toriel is proud of you, and so are me and Papyrus. We know the truth know, and...I'm not going to let that just fade away. I can't go back to hating ya. And we can't just leave you with all this going on. You need us." "...I do." You admitted and looked up at Sans, you smiled. You reached the classroom entrance and Sans held the door open for you, then followed you inside. Hazel was still sitting there, going over her college textbook, only now she had Justin with her. You waved and Justin stood. "Hey! Sorry about bailing Saturday. It's just, ya know, my mom.." "It's cool Justin..have you guys met Sans?" You asked, motioning to the short guy. "I've seen him, but I don't think we've properly met." Hazel replied, getting to her feet. For a split second you felt a little intimidated, Hazel really was gorgeous. Then you mentally kicked yourself and felt stupid. "My name is Hazel, it's nice to meet you!" She held out her hand and of course, when Sans shook it, a farting noise filled the air. Hazel pulled her hand back in confusion, and Justin nearly died laughing when Sans revealed the small pink item in his hand. "The ol' whoopie cushion trick. It's ALWAYS funny." "Dude, COMIC Sans!" Just clutched his stomach he was laughing so hard, and you were laughing too. Hazel just looked uncomfortable and then gave a forced laugh. "Right..haha...ha. Um..oh!" She seemed to noticed how much more dirty your clothes were compared to how they were when you came through before. "What happened?! Are you okay, (Y/N)?" "Maybe they had a 'friendly romp' in the barn?" Justin suggested, still laughing. You gasped and punched him in the arm, but you had to admit it made you laugh. Sans was blushing a little but gave a shrug. "Maybe. Maybe not." "Well, either way, you two look very cute together." Hazel smiled and you just knew you looked like a tomato. You grabbed Sans' arm, pulling him along. "W-we gotta go! You two have fun studying! I know you'll do fine!"

"Your friends are..interesting." Sans chuckled as you guys walked through the halls of the science building, though he had his eyes on your hand, which was still holding his arm. You blushed and let go. "Hazel...has a poor choice in friends, but she's very sweet, and Justin is a real card, I know the two of you will probably get along well." You two continued to walk and you noticed Sans had paused in front of a large period table that had been painted on one of the hallway walls. He seemed to be contemplating something, and then gave a lazy shrug, turning to you. "Are you made of Copper and Tellurium? Because you are CU-TE." Oh no. HE WAS MEETING ALL OF YOUR STANDARDS. You covered your mouth with both your hands, laughing. "Sans, oh my god!" "You are my Iodine, Lithium, Potassium, Einsteinium, and Uranium, because I like u." You had to lean against the wall, you were laughing so hard. Sans' grin grew as he just kept them coming. "Is it hot in here, or is it just the bond we're forming?" And that was the last straw. You laughed so hard you physically snorted. Sans suddenly grew quiet, and you struggled to stop your laughter. He was just..staring at you, his blue eyes literally forming tiny stars. Oh no, it was too cute! You grabbed his hand and began running out of the building, still laughing. "Come on, you dork! I'm starving, and I need to change out of these dirty clothes!" With that you ran all the way to your house, and poor Sans was pooped. You had him sit on the couch, where Teddy immediately went up to inspect the visitor, while you went to the kitchen and grabbed him both some water and ketchup. You giggled seeing that teddy was licking his hand. "He kinda reminds me of Toby, our annoying dog. Only a little bigger. and less annoying." "Well, this is Teddybear Chow Chow, and he can be very annoying. He peed on my bed when I first got him. Huh, didn't you?"You asked the dog in a baby voice as he came over, licking and nibbling your chin. You giggled and got to your feet, patting his head. "I'm gonna go change real quick Be right back!" Sans merely gave a lazy wave as you jogged upstairs to your room. You didn't want to waste anytime, you were starving after all, and it had been ages since you'd been to Lefty's. But you also wanted to look nice for your date...wait. Date? Who said anything about a date? You shook your head and swung your closet doors open, already knowing what you wanted. You grabbed a long sleeved stripped shirt, black and white, with a blong black skirt and flats. After you changed, you brushed your hair, put it into pigtails, and held your bangs back with two bone hair clips. With that, you ran out of your room and headed down the stairs to find your grandmother sitting with Sans, talking.

Oops.

IT'S HAPPENING

IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING

yl2Gq6

GET READY FOR SOME AWKWARD FLUFF BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO ACTUALLY WRITE ROMANCE!


	19. So you have a boyfriend now, apparently

Well, this was a little awkward. You hurried down the stairs and felt your face turn red your grandmother looked p at you and asked, "Why didn't you tell me about your boyfriend?!" "Hold up, what?!" You felt your face grow warm and you looked between your grandmother and Sans, who had that shit eating grin and shrugged. "She asked and I figured. I mean, if you don't wanna.." Oh, that little trickster! Part of you wanted to strangle him! And another part wanted to kiss him...a lot. "Well, what is it? What's going on?" Your grandmother demanded. She was very invested in this. You had only gone on a few dates, maybe three, between 8th grade and now. You ran a hand through your hair and awkwardly sat in your dads lazy boy, stroking Teddy's head as he came over. "Uh...yes? Grandmama, this is Sans, myyyyy...boy...friend?" Where had this even come from? Sure, he had admitted some sort of feelings for you before but...wow. This was...a lot going on. "Wait...didn't you mention a Sans before? Your grandmother asked, peering at you and then Sans over her large glasses. "When you were younger, said you met them when you 'fell underground'..(Y/N..?" ShiiiiiIIIIIIII- "Yeah, we met back then, but, ah, you know kids. She was scared and confused. Some things probably got jumbled." Okay, okay, good save Sans. But your grandmother still wasn't satisfied. "So, some of it was true then? This Toriel woman, she took care of my little girl? I want to meet her-" "LATER!" you stood quickly, panicking slightly. After all, Sans had told you they were planning on letting people know they were monsters. You had to prepare your grandmother for that. "Sans and I were actually about to go out to-" "Oh, of course, your date!" Who had told her it was a date?! You had a feeling it was Sans.. The short boy hopped off the couch and stretched, cracking his neck. "Eyup. We don't wanna be late, we're both starving." Your grandmother dug around in her purse and handed you her Lefty's membership card. Awesome! You had kind of wanted to ask for it. "I hope that's where you planned to go. They would have a fit if you didn't take your new boyfriend there." "H-Heh...right. Thanks grandmama." You stuck it in your own purse and waved goodbye as the two of you left, Sans strolling casually by your side. "You told her you were my boyfriend?" You asked, blushing hard. Sans merely shrugged his shoulders. "What else was I supposed to say? She came in to find a boy she didn't know sitting on the couch and she had already jumped to that conclusion. I was too lazy to come up with any other excuse. And you went with it, so you can't blame me." Ugh, he had a point. "Well, then what do we do now? Pretend to break up or something?" "Nah, too much work." Of course. You rolled your eyes and sighed, reaching the bus stop with Sans just as the bus arrived and climbed on board. "Then what do you suggest? We just pretend we're dating?" "I don't see any need to pretend. Sooo, I guess we're just dating. Maybe. Depends on how tonight goes."

Wait...

"Are you..being serious? Or are you joking?" You asked as you sat down on the overcrowded bus, and Sans just...plopped the fuck down onto your lap. Well, he was small enough so it wasn't a physical issue, but mentally you were screaming with mixed emotions. Yes. You liked him. You hella liked him. Sans was cute, human or skeleton, and really funny, smart, kind of terrifying.. "This isn't exactly a topic to joke about." Sans replied, making himself conformable. Okay, so...you were dating now. Maybe? If tonight went well...then you had better make sure it goes well. "Where are we going, anyway?" Sans asked, tilting his head to look up at you. "Lefty's seafood bar and grill. I've been going there since I was a kid. They'll give you all the ketchup you want." Sans smiled at that and leaned back against you, enjoying the ride. Some people from your school were on board, and you blushed seeing them point and whisper. On the whole opposite side of the spectrum, a few old ladies were not so quietly cooing over the two of you. Was this what having a boyfriend was like? It was...nice? You both sat quietly the rest of the way, and once you reached your stop on old town, you set Sans down and walked off with him, awkwardly holding his hand. You reached the restaurant, a little hole in the wall with a red roof, and once inside you waved the smoke from your face. It certainly wasn't the classiest place, but it was a part of your home, and you loved it. Sans eyed the place and seemed to be interested. There were Christmas lights strung up, soft jazz playing. Photos covered the walls, regulars or celebrities who stopped by, in fact, you saw his eyes lingering on one photo in particular. It was your first time in Lefty's. Your hair, it's natural color, was chopped short, and you had large glasses and were smiling, revealing very funky teeth. You may have hated them in jr high, but now you were grateful for the braces. He glanced up at you with raised brows, as if asking you to confirm that it was in fact you in the photo. You blushed, suddenly realizing how unflattering the image was, but you nodded. "Yup. That was the day my grandparents got custody of me. My aunt had been coming here for a few months before hand, and absolutely insisted they took me here to celebrate. It was my first time every eating seafood. I got HOOKED, and grandmama has regretted it ever since, heh." Sans snickered at your pun and you brought him up to a small booth in the back. It was busy, as usual, the place was popular, but it was fine with you both. "Well, it isn't Grillby's, but if you've been going here for so long, it's sure to be a good place." "You're damn right!" The loud voice caused you both to jump, and you looked up, laughing as you saw Erin, a very tall man with a bald head and a bit of a mustache. Behind him was Susan, a small Asian woman. She was peering at Sans with narrowed eyes. "He's so short...but REALLY cute! But I still wish you had tried dating my boy. You would have had cute babies.." "Welp, sorry, lady." Sans gave her a wink and a shrug. "(Y/N) has kinda been mine for a long time, anyway. The name's Sans."

Well this was awkward. Of course your aunt had blabbed about the story you used to tell while she was drinking. Erin and Susan knew the name Sans pretty well, just from her recalling your story. "So...okay. You're real? Just..not a monster.." Erin said, and then Susan squealed loudly, clasping both your hands and Sans'. "AWWW! IN LOVE SINCE BABIES! SO CUTE!" "Uh..yeah." Erin didn't sound so sure. After all, he had been told of the nightmares. Sans was somebody you had been afraid of. However you were currently red faced and gawking at Sans. _(Y/N) has been mine for a long time, anyway._

Well, this date escalated quickly.

But that's okay, since you've always liked the skele-pun.

This date's only getting started!

Also, yes! Lefty's is a real place here in Texas, and I have been going since I was very young. Their seafood is wonderful and the people are so nice!


	20. How much I like you

You knew what you wanted already, as you usually got the same thing every time you came to Lefty's. The seafood pasta, tomato sauce with shrimp, clams, mussels, crab legs, and two huge lobster tails. After talking with Sans, you both agreed to try the crab brisk and you got him a big bottle of ketchup. He seemed content with lift. That is, until he saw the front of the menu, and then he nearly died.

Undyne.

It was a drawing of Undyne, suplexing the restaurant.

"Was this your handiwork?" Sans snickered, holding the menu up for you to see. You flushed but laughed, nodding. "Yup! They have kids who come in draw the menu covers, and that was mine. I think I did her justice." "Seriously. Her giant head on her tiny body is almost spot on." Sans continued to laugh, and you did as well. "I may need to ask them to make me a copy of this. I want to hang it in my room." As Sans said that, Susan could be heard squealing behind the bar. She just thought you two were the cutest thing. It made Sans chuckle, and he winked at you as he leaned back in his seat. "They really do know you here, huh (Y/N)?" He asked, and you noticed how he hadn't called you Cherry Bomb once since finding out the truth yesterday. You grinned, nodding. "Like I said, and that picture showed, I've been going here since I was little. These people were at my aunt and uncles wedding, they babysat me and even attended my birthday parties. Erik, Susan, and Zel, who you haven't met yet, are all part of the family. ell, I bet I could get Grillby a job here, if he hasn't opened his own place already." "That would actually be pretty cool. I'll be sure to talk to him about it." Sans took a sip of his ketchup, ignoring the looks some nearby customers gave him. You went to speak but instead found you picked up by none other than Lefty's official bartender, Zel. You giggled as he peppered the top of your head with kisses. "It is the most beautiful girl in the world! We have not seen our little girl in ages!" Zel was a very friendly an excitable man who had immigrated from Africa, however he was extremely pale, with frosted blond hair. You laughed more as he hugged you tightly before setting you back down in your seat. "Now, what is Susan going on, about you having a boyfriend?" He then noticed Sans and gasped, grinning. "Ah! Ah, boyfriend! I am so happy for you, young man! You are very lucky boy indeed." Your face went red and you hid it behind your menu. Sans merely nodded. "Yup, ain't that the truth. She's already pretty popular at school. But like I told the other guy, (Y/N) has been mine for a while." Zel looked flabbergasted. "(Y/N)! Why did you not tell us you have had a boyfriend?" Hoo boy, how were you going to explain this one? "It's...a long story. Sorry Z." "Well, you better get ready to tell everything to miss Polly when she gets here." Zel ruffled your head and went to get your appetizer. Sans tilted a brow. "Miss Polly?" "Little old lady who was friends with my uncle's mom, Miss Lolli. Yet another regular here who watched me grow. She's a total sweetie." You explained, and then noticed that Sans was sort of just...staring at you now. You blinked, suddenly feeling awkward. Sans scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, it's just..." He sighed, shaking his head. "Of course I know you've had a life after leaving us. You've grown, you have friends...some who were murdered. You have your own human family. It's just..it only feels like it's sinking in now. You really aren't that snot nosed kid I used to know. You're a determined, funny, pretty girl. Heh." He took another drink from his ketchup. "No clue what you see in some old bones like me." "Sans, don't even get me started." You sighed, but with a smile. "There are a ton of reasons I like you. There's no way possible I could sit here and list them all. We'd be here till the apocalypse, comic Sans." The name sort of slipped out, but Sans just starred at you with those starry eyes again. You giggled ad let him reach out, taking your hand, and pressed him to his lips.

HOW DO I WRITE CUTE.

WHAT IS CUTE

WHAT IS WRITING.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA


	21. Heart to heart For real this time

Well, you would call this date a success. You and sans were on the bus heading back to your place, and Sans was once again happily situated on your lap, only this time you were holding him with your chin resting on the top of his head. It was a little weird, just a few days ago he was threatening you, and now you two were...dating. Certainly strange, but you were happy. "Thanks for dinner, (Y/N). It was good, and the place seemed alright. I'll be sure to tell Grillby about it next time I see him." "Alright. Just know that they'll make you pay your tab there." You giggled softly and yawned. You were pooped. The day had been crazy and you still had the rest of the week, plus finals. God, this was going to be hell. The bus ride back was silent, and you both just enjoyed each others company. Once you reached the stop you got off, holding hands, and started walking back towards your house. "Are you going to be okay getting home on your own?" You asked Sans, who shrugged, yawning himself. "Yeah, I'll just use one of my short cuts. No big deal. What about you? Do you think you'll be okay? I mean..that weirdo is still out there, and he ain't alone." He had a point, but it wasn't like you could ask him to stay over...well, technically you COULD, but lord knows your grandmother would never allow it. "If push comes to shove, I'll just have Natasha and Emilie stay the night." "That sounds like a plan. They seem to be good friends. It's just...still weird to think all this is going on with you. I feel like an idiot." You blinked and glanced down at Sans, who sighed but smiled up at you, giving your hand a light squeeze. "I figured something was up after Papy and Grillby saved you and your friends from that fire, but I was still to angry with you to pay that feeling any mind. I'm sorry. Had I gotten involved sooner you might not have even been attacked again." He felt bad, really bad. You could hear it in his voice. You sighed and leaned down, kissing the top of his head. Again it felt weird, but in a good way, and he was your boyfriend now, so you might as well get used to it. "Sans, I kind of murdered your friends and family. You had every right to be mad at me, and that also includes not wanting to be worried because you thought something was going on. Don't beat yourself up over it. It isn't your fault in the least." "But you beat yourself up over what happened UNDERGROUND."

You paused and sighed, knowing he was right. For years, you refused to forgive yourself for what had happened back then, and even now you still really couldn't. And Sans could tell. "it wasn't your fault, either. You were just some kid in a bad place, and a piece of garbage demon took advantage of you. That's all." Again Sans brought your hand to his lips and gave it a light kiss. You blushed and sighed. "I know, but it still just feels...I dunno. I'm awful at describing things. It just feel so stupid about everything. I was a brat, and I shouldn't have treated everyone the way I was, and-" "You were hurting." Sans interrupted you. "More than you knew. It's like your friend Morgan said. You were DYING, (Y/N). You had just run away from bad people, and I'm sure falling down a giant hole and having a bunch of scary monsters everywhere didn't exactly help. I feel stupid that we didn't see that something was seriously wrong sooner. We saw your SOUL, and nobody did anything." You sighed and then shook your head, smiling. "...Past is the past, Sansy. Let's deal with all the insanity we have going on now, yeah?" Sans smiled in return and nodded, walking with you in silence back to your home, kissing your hand the whole way. When you reached the front door you knelt down and pulled him into a tight hug. "Thanks for everything, Sans. And that includes giving me a second chance." "heh, you of all people deserved it, (Y/N). Get some rest okay? I'll see you tomorrow." Sans smiled and then leaned forward, pressing his lips against yours.

A

THIS IS ME SCREAMING SLOWLY

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M WRITING


	22. Blood is drawn

The next morning your grandmother was still in bed, thankfully. You just knew she was going to have so many questions about Sans and the date and back when you were in foster care. You threw on a simple black t-shirt with a skull, black leggings, white shorts, and white flats. You just really, really didn't care about dressing up right now. You grabbed your backpack and ran outside to see Natasha and Emilie waiting, making out. Well, that escalating quickly. Snickering, you got their attention with a wolf whistler and both girls jerked away from each other, blushing hard. You covered your mouth, laughing. "Uh, Emilie? You have Natasha's lipstick, like...aaaall over your face." The Asian girl blushed harder and pulled a compact mirror out of her bag, trying her best to get the lipstick off. Somehow you were not surprised in the least that these two had gotten together. Natasha was reapplying her lipstick when she smirked at you. "okay, you caught us, but what about YOU? Did you get any action~" You laughed, shoving her gently so her lipstick smeared. "We held hands. And he kissed me at the door A LITTLE. That is literally it." "Boriiiing." Natasha pouted, once again having to fix her face. You rolled your eyes and helped Emilie wipe her face off. "Whatever, I thought it was nice. So, back to business. I think we should find Anna today. She should be easy." "Didn't she always hang out in the science labs?" Natasha asked, putting her lipstick back into the pocket of her hot pink skinny jeans. You grinned, nodding. "Exactly. And we didn't see her in the animal science lab yesterday, so that's already one checked off the only leaves 5 more labs to check. We could knock three of those out before first bell!"

The plan seemed to be a good one. Too bad you wouldn't get to follow it, not today. Upon arriving to school Sans and papyrus were already waiting for you, and even Hazel was with them. Her eyes were red and puffy, and you saw police blocking off the doors, keeping everyone outside. You jogged over with Natasha and Emilie. Something felt very wrong. "What's going on?" Natasha asked, and with that Hazel broke down sobbing. "...I-It's NATHAN!" The red head cried, hiccuping. Her mascara was running down her face. "SOMEBODY ATTACKED HIM IN THE LOCKER ROOM!" "WHAT?!" This came from all three of you. "Where is he?!" Natasha demanded. Sans frowned and pointed over towards the other side of the school parking lot. There was an ambulance already there. Natasha took off, her ability to run in heels admirable. You and Emilie ran after all. Police offers tried to stop you until Natasha explained that he was her brother. They let her through, at least. You had to stay behind. Emilie was about to start crying herself, and you were shaking. You felt an arm slide around your waist and looked to see Sans. He looked grim, and his eyes had gone pitch black, hollow. "Wh-what happened to him?" You asked, your voice cracking. He held you close to him, rubbing small circles on your back. Emilie had gripped your hand in hers and was crying violently. "Somebody must have been waiting for him once, uh, football practice ended?" Sans explained, sounding like he wasn't sure he had gotten the sport correct. "They..they stabbed him, a lot. But he's still alive. He's still alive." He repeated the last part to reassure you, but you were mad. Very, very mad. This involved the ghosts, you knew it. They had tried to kill Nathan, and probably did this because the principal would have to shut down the school. You couldn't find your friends ghosts, at least not as easily now. "W-w-what are we going to do.." Emilie asked you, struggling to stop crying. "...We make sure Nathan is okay, and then we find the other ghosts, as fast as we can." "Lady Asgore is on her way to get us.." Papyrus said, hugging both you and Emilie tightly. You had no idea why he was calling her Lady Asgore, but you figured he meant Toriel. "Will she be okay taking us to the hospital? Natasha is most likely going to ride with Nathan there." "Oh, I'm sure she won't mind!" papyrus nodded. Natasha met back with you guys and confirmed what you had said. "I'm going to ride with him to the hospital..." She trailed off and then clenched her fists, taking a deep breath. "Whoever it was, they aren't very tall." "What..do you mean?" Emilie asked, wrapping her arms around Natasha and hugging her. Natasha hugged back loosely. "The stab wounds are all on his stomach and lower, one barely reached near his chest. Whoever it was, they couldn't reach high enough to do damage with a single blow, so they stabbed him multiple times." She then sighed, letting go of Emilie. "...They say they should be able to stabilize him. (Y/N)...We have to stop whoever is doing this. We have to!"

She was right, you HAD to. You knew this before but this fact was more apparent now more than ever. You opened your mouth to reassure her that you would, but then papyrus realized something and interrupted you. "AAH! WAIT!" He threw his hands up, wide eyed. "If..If that dastardly attacker was so short they couldn't reach your brothers chest or face...then he isn't the one who attacked (Y/N) the other day!" "And that also means they're too short to have been the get away driver, too." Sans added. Still, his eyes were empty, and his voice took on that same, low edge that it had many times when Chara had forced you on genocide. "That means...there's at least three people involved." Emilie said, covering her mouth. You felt yourself shaking again. Sans sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "...Toriel's going to want you to explain everything today, (Y/N). And then we'll figure out what to do next." "What we're going to do is get into that locker room and take a look around." You said without thinking. "And then we're going to check the computer labs." You then looked down at him. "Can you help us with your short cuts? Please Sans..." He stared up at you and then sighed, giving a wink and a shrug. "Like I could say no to you."

AND FLUFF IS ON HOLD FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER.

also, I've been posting this on fanfiction and got my first negative comment.

"I hope you're having a terrible day."

giphy

But ignoring that.

There are three people involved, at the least. And shit has gotten serious.

Especially for Sans.

Of course he was aware of the danger you were in. He saw someone try to stab you to death. But now? Someone has officially been hurt, and it's a hell of a lot more than bruises. Well..

If these freaks keep going the way they are...

E

. /revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/350?cb=20170213162146


	23. A reunion YOU didn't want, it happened

Natasha had already left in the ambulance with Nathan. Toriel was on her way and you sat outside with Emilie, Sans and Papyrus, waiting. Thousands of thoughts were going through your mind, swirling and mixing together until you couldn't even think straight. You felt like you were going to be sick, just blow chunks right there in front of everyone. Feeling something touching your hand, you lifted your head to look. It was Sans. He wasn't looking at you, instead opting to look out blankly at the sky overhead. His hand had reached out and taken hold of yours. He was sort of playing with it, running his nails over your knuckles, or turning your palm and tracing over the lines. There was something strangely reassuring about that, and you sighed, pulling him onto your lap. This caught him by surprise, but Sans certainly didn't complain. After sitting their in silence for about five minutes, Toriel pulled up in, no surprise, a mom van. A child sat in the front seat and was near bouncing when they saw you and the others get up, heading towards the van. Papyrus slid open the door, letting everyone else in before he got in last. You sat between Emilie and Sans, and you held Emilie's hand as she continued to shake. The child, whom you recognized from the news as 'Frisk', the ambassador of monsters, was peering at you from the front seat. You gave a weak smile and waved. Toriel was silent, gripping the steering wheel tightly as she drove. It was only a fifteen minute drive or so, but it felt like an hour just to get to the hospital. Once inside you all took seats in the waiting room, Sans reclaiming his spot on your lap. You hated hospitals, especially after spending so much time in them when you were going because of your SOUL. Because of your foster parents. Because they put things in your food that got you sick. The air smelt sterile and like chemicals, and there was so much white. You really did hate it. Toriel sent Frisk to go play in the children's area and then walked over, sitting on the opposite side of you. "When Papyrus called, he said it was your friend who had been hurt. The young man. What happened...?" "Yeah..it was Nathan. Somebody attacked him while he was in the locker room.." You explained to her, holding Sans' hands. She sighed, removing her glasses and rubbing her temples. "And is he-" "The people who came to get him said they should be able to get him stable." Sans said, trying to calm your goat mother down. It seemed to help a little but she still wasn't happy. "It was about what happened to your other friends, wasn't it?"

You sighed, nodding slightly. Toriel had clenched her fists slightly and you could tell she was so upset. Of course she was. Toriel loved children, and not only was one hurt, but it was one who her daughter was friends with. Toriel shook her head, running a hand through her long white hair. "This is getting far too dangerous. We have to tell the others what's going on, (Y/N). I know you may not be looking forward to it, but I cannot stand by and let you children chase after these murderers with little to no help." She was right, not just about you not looking forward to this reunion, but that you couldn't do this by yourselves anymore. Undyne would be a huge help right now, if you were to be honest. "Okay...We can do it once the doctors stabilize Nathan, okay?" You asked, and Toriel nodded. However, you did have to wait long. The doctor came out, explaining that while Nathan had sustained many energies, his life was not in danger. This was a major relief, but Natasha insisted on staying with her brother. She assured you that there was no way someone would try to attack in a secured hospital, plus their parents were on their way. Once you were convinced Natasha and Nathan were safe, you climbed back into Toriel's van, once more between Sans and Emilie. Sans had taken to playing with your hand again and you relaxed a little, but only a little. This was just..too much. You glanced up as Sans cupped your face in his free hand. "Hey, it's going to be okay. We aren't going to let anything like this happen again. Trust me?" "...I trust you." You sighed, nodding. In their seat up front, Frisk slowly turned and peered over at you.

"Now kiss."

You and Sans jerked away from each other, your face red and his face blue. The child was giggling hysterically. Toriel herself chuckled a little bit. "When I asked you to watch over her, this isn't exactly what I had in mind Sans." "What can I say, Tori. The heart wants what the heart wants." Sans replied with a shrug and a wink, like usual. Toriel laughed tiredly and shook her head as the van pulled up to a large house. It made sense, they all probably lived together at the moment. Talk about full house. "Well, keep her close then. It's going to be a bit of a struggle getting everyone to sit down and listen." "Especially Undyne!" Papyrus said from the back seat. Sans sighed and pulled the door open, hopping out and then waiting for you and the others. Once you had gotten out, he wrapped an arm around your hips, as that was all he could really reach, and gave you a reassuring smile. You were sweating bullets. A small hand grabbed onto yours and you looked down to see Frisk smiling up at you. What a cute kid. Though you did remember what Sans had said, and how he didn't totally trust them. Toriel led you all inside and had you sit down in the living room while she, Sans and papyrus went to gather the others. It was large, and the furniture was plush and soft. You saw a few things littering the floor. A large sword. A pile of anime and computer parts, which Emilie had picked up to examine. Frisk plopped down into your lap, and there was a calm silence for a minute. It didn't let long. "Well, well, well, look who decided to show her face." You glanced to the coffee table and saw Flowey sitting in a colorful flower pot. It was too much, you had to laugh. He growled and flailed angrily. "Don't you laugh at me, you stupid human! I can still kill you, you know!" "Bad." Frisk reached out and bapped the flower monster on the head. Flowey scowled and looked away. "Whatever...you're just lucky I feel like I owe you after what happened." "Dam-" Child present. "Dang right you do!" You said, patting Frisk's head. They beamed happily and Flowey huffed. " You owe me a lot for what you and that little brat did." "You know, it's rude to talk about someone who's listening." Flowey mumbled and you blinked, confused. Frisk giggled softly and lifted their head to look up at you. Their eyes cracked open and your blood turned cold.

Their eyes were red.

"...You little bastard." You physically shoved the child off you. Frisk, or rather Chara, just giggled, their hands behind their back. Emilie blinked but joined you on the couch, eyeing the kid warily. "Cherry bomb...what's going on." "Chara...it's Chara." You made sure Emilie sat close to you and Chara just hummed, rocking on their heels. "Well, that isn't any way to great an old friend, isn't it _partner_?" "We aren't partners. You lied to me." You spat. "Tricked me. You said you would help me-" "And I did, didn't I?" Chara said, sitting criss-cross on the floor and placing Flowey in their lap. He actually looked very uncomfortable. "I got you away from this big, scary monsters, and kept you safe." Chara spoke as if you were a child, using that stupid baby voice. You clenched your fists. Oh how badly you wanted to punch this fucking garbage child. But you didn't want to hurt Frisk. "Where's-" "Frisk? They've been gone for a while now. After their first genocide, they wanted to give everyone the happy ending they took away. So I agreed to let them...if they gave me their SOUL." Chara laughed. A cold, bitter laugh. Anger raked your body. You were shaking. "Let me guess, you told dear old mommy what REALLY happened, didn't you?" They asked, but didn;t give you a chance to reply. "Well, that isn't any fun. I didn't get to see anybody be angry with you. I'm going to have to fix that." They hummed and set Flowey down, getting to their feet. Flowey was physically panicked. "Ch-Chara, wait! You don't need to.." "Shut up, you big cry baby. You're lucky I don't punish you for giving mom hints." Chara snapped and went to the corner of the room, starting to toss around stuffed animals that had been placed in a neat pile. A feeling of dread came over you and you jumped to you feet. Once the animals were gone, something shiny was revealed to have been hidden there. Chara turned to you, grinning. "Let's start over."

You lunged forward but it was too late. Chara's hand was on the shiny.

"SANS!"

RESET.

GAME LOADING.

Bob-s-Burgers-image-bobs-burge

IT HAS FINALLY HAPPENED!

 **What, you didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you?**

Okay, that out of the way. Sorry I haven't updated this in a few days. Uhhh...

Okay, I know you all have been telling me to take care of myself and not overwork myself..

weeeeellll...

IzUjq7w

I was doing overtime at work and pushed myself too hard. I got sent home for being sick.

Oops~

07dd34ad62abdbe5ed9d0e77c54e1e

But I'm better now! so no worries!


	24. A fractured SOUL

You shot up in bed and cried out for your grandmother. Your chest hurt so badly, your heart felt like it was on fire. Tears streamed down your face. But why? Why? It was just a stupid dream.

 _No it wasn't._

The voice in your head was small and soft, as though it barely had the strength to speak. It wasn't your voice, but it was telling the truth. You didn't know how you knew, but you knew.

"(Y/N)?!" Your grandparents had run upstairs after hearing you cry out, and they found you curled into a ball, sobbing uncontrollably. They hurried to your bedside and your grandfather, a very tall elderly man who had served in the air force, scooped you up in his arms. "What's the matter?" "Is it because of your speech?" Your grandmother asked, gingerly running her fingers through your hair. They were so worried. Of course they were. It had been nine months since you'd had a break down like this. "N-No...it hurts.." You managed between sobs. "My chest hurts so much. My heart hurts so much.." Your grandparents looked at each other and your grandfather grabbed the spider web themed throw blanket you had kicked to the floor and wrapped you in it, carrying you down stairs, outside and into the car. Once he set you in the backseat and buckled you up he climbed into the drivers seat. Your grandmother got in next to you and held you close, doing her best to keep you comfortable. They were silent the whole car ride to the doctors, and all you could manage to do was sob. Your grandfather carried you inside and demanded a doctor see you. Out came Sanchez in her awful yellow eye shadow, which only confirmed that it hadn't been a dream. Chara had RESET. Everything had been erased. **You were going to kill them.** Sanchez had your father unwrap you and lay you down in the x ray machine, worried that this may involve your SOUL after having read your file. "(Y/N), I'm going to need you to try and calm down and stay still." She said softly, and you did your best to do as she said. It felt like you were in there for hours, even though you knew it was only ten minutes at the most. You were so scared, so angry. You wanted Natasha and Emilie to be there with you. You wanted Sans. But he hated you again.

 _Don't lose hope._

Snachez had some male nurses lift you from the x ray machine. You were exhausted, you just couldn't move on your own even if you tried. Somehow Sanchez had gotten the results of of your x ray even faster than she had before. Sanchez was incredibly pale and you had a very bad feeling as she clipped the photos up for you to see. It was your SOUL, and it looked nothing like it had the last you saw it. Fractures were everywhere, and while the red and blue colors were still there, they had...drained. Become ugly faded colors. "I'm afraid that this is an emergency." Sanchez said, speaking gently as to not cause panic in you or your grandparents, but that wasn't working at all. "What the hell do you mean this is an emergency?!" Your grandmother demanded. "What's going on?!" "(Y/N)'s SOUL is in an extremely unstable state. We have called the hospital, they are coming to pick her up. She may need surgery, or even a possible SOUL transplant." SOUL transplant? You didn't even know those existed. Nor did you care. You were so tired. There was no way you could handle doing it all over. All you wanted to do was sleep...sleep forever.

Not caring about what else Sanchez had to say you slowly closed your eyes and slumped over in your seat.

You had given up.

STAY DETERMINED, READER-CHAN!

Sorry for the short chapter. I promise the next one will be longer, and important.


	25. Welcome to the void

It was dark.

And cold.

You felt as though you were floating, and when you opened your eyes you saw that you were. Floating in pitch black nothingness.

Was this the after life?

Were you dead?

"Please...wake up..." You blinked and sat up slowly, looking around. Your chest and head still suffered from a dull ache. About three feet away stood...Frisk? They looked like Frisk, but they were...fuzzy. Almost like they were glitching out. When they saw you move they gasped and ran over, flinging themselves onto you and hugging you tightly. You flinched, not sure what the hell was going on, and Frisk let go. "I-I'm so glad you're okay! I was so scared..." "Where am I...what's going on?!" You demanded, finding yourself able to stand despite there being nothing under you to physically stand on. Frisk backed away a little, and you sort of felt bad for yelling at them. Chara was the one who RESET, not them. You shouldn't take your anger out on them. "You're..um..in the void? Kind of. It's like this place between RESETS, or something like that..." Frisk attempted to explain as best they good, fidgeting with the hem of their stripped sweater. "Uh..kaaaaay. And why am I here?" "I brought you here." Frisk replied. "You were going to die! I didn't know what else to do..." Okay, so the kid had saved you. Alright, that worked for you. You hesitated and patted their head. Frisk smiled but you realized just how tired they looked, Bringing you into this place probably zapped a lot of energy from them. Man, now you felt really bad. "Well...thank you, Frisk. But what are you doing here?" "This is where Chara trapped me after I gave them my SOUL." Frisk looked around at the black emptiness around them. Poor kid. "You've been here all by yourself?" "Oh no, not at all!" Frisk shook their head. "I've been here with-" "Kid. Who are you talking to."

You recognized that voice. It was Sans. But he sounded...hollow, and angry. Frisk let out a small squeak and hid behind you. "You know you're still in trouble after talking with...what the hell is this?" The Sans who appeared before you wore Papyrus' tattered scarf. He had a still bleeding slash across his chest, blood was dripping from his smile, and it pixels covered his right eye. You audibly gasped and a hand went to your mouth. He looked pretty surprised to see you, and you got the feeling he couldn't recognize you. This wasn't your Sans. Sans looked between you and Frisk, and the pin prick in his remaining good eye faded. "Heh, you've been busy, haven't you kid?" With a snap of his fingers, Frisk was wrenched away from you and began to float towards him. "Looks like you just lost your priviliges again, and it's back in the baby jail you go." "Sans, wait!" You spoke without thinking, and his attention returned to you. You could feel the malice coming off of him in waves. You were in danger here, with him. Still, you stood your ground. "Sans, please..Frisk brought me here to save me." "SAVE you?" He snorted and gave the child a side glance. "Now that's a laugh." "Sans, please, just trust me." You pleaded with him. He stared at you for a moment, actually surprised. "Trust. You want me to trust?" And suddenly he laughed. A long, hard, bitter laugh, tears actually forming in the corner of his eye. Then he stopped and stared at you with a cold, empty smile. **"Kid, I haven't done 'trust' since the second RESET."** With the state he was in, you couldn't blame him, but still you grabbed Frisk from the air and pulled them back to you. "I don't care. I'm not saying who have to trust Frisk, but please Sans, please trust _me_!" "And who are _you_?" Sans shot back. You took a deep breath and held Frisk protectively, preparing for this worst. "(Y/N)."

Yup. The minute your name came out bones shot through the ground and you just barely managed to get away. "Sans, please!" Frisk cried out as you lifted them above your head, out of harms way. Sans' attacks kept coming until you shouted, "You and I were in love back where I'm from!" And then the attacks stopped. Sans stared at you with a mixture of confusion and disgusted. Ouch. Panting and your hurting even more you fell to your knees and let Frisk go, clutching your chest. "Damn...it hurts so much.." Sans stared and flicked his finger, drawing out your SOUL. You were worried he was just going to stab it with a bone or something, but instead he stared at your SOULs pitiful state. After a minute he sighed and walked over to you, holding the SOUL in his hand. "What the hell is going on. I want answers." "(Y/N) is from another timeline." Frisk said, reaching up for your SOUL, but Sans held it out of their reach. "Another timeline? Which one?" "One where you escaped the UNDERGROUND." You told him, hissing softly as just making yourself sit more comfortable caused pain to stab your chest. You SOUL vibrated in Sans' hand, and you actually saw two of the fractures in it connect, and part of your SOUL began to crumble. His eye grew wide. "Your SOUL is dying." "I know." Tears stung your eyes. Was this really the end? Frisk had brought you here to save you, but it looked like they had wasted their energy. "Chara..fucking..that brat." Sans was hesitant but he slowly sat down, eyeing you cautiously, though in this state you were pretty much harmless. "Chara?" He asked as Frisk crawled into your lap. You nodded your head and winced. Movement was bad. "They...they're behind everything.." You tried to explain, but Sans brushed it off. "Same excuse the kid uses-" "But she's telling the truth!" Frisk bapped him on the face, scowling. "It wasn't like with me! (Y/N) was scared and Chara tricked her into giving them their body. I watched..I watched it all. Whenever you weren't looking. I watched for timelines that could fix this-" "YOU DID WHAT." Sans reached for them, but you jerked away, holding Frisk to you. It was painful but you ignored it. "Sans, calm down!" " **Do not call me that.** " He gave you a glare and you sighed, trying to ignore the pain caused by him squeezing your SOUL in his hand. It crumbled a little more, and when he noticed he sighed and released it. "My name is Geno now, thanks to GenoCIDE. Something you know all about, huh (Y/N)?" "I just told you, she didn't do it! It really was Chara for her!" Frisk wiggled in your grasp, trying to bap him again but you held their tiny wrist to stop them. "Frisk, we can't just make him believe us." As you spoke Sans, or rather, Geno stared, searching for any kind of sign that you and the kid were lying. Any sign of ill intentions.

He didn't see any.

Geno ran a hand down his face and gave you a glare, though instead of hatred this one held resentment. He probably wasn't to pleased to hear that the girl he had hated for years was technically innocent. "Okay..fine. Say, hypothetically, Chara did trick you and used to kill all of us. That still doesn't explain how you're dying and or how you and I were...'In love'." He even used freaking air quotes. You couldn't help but roll your eyes and smile. He kind of made you think of a little boy who thought you had cooties. "I'm dying because...I guess I've given up." You admitted, and that actually made Geno straighten slightly and look at you with actual concern. You gave him a weak smile. "A..lot has gone on this last week. I met you again, and Papyrus, and mom. You were all disguised as humans. You guys found out the truth, and well...I became yours, or rather...heh..you had said I've _always_ been yours, so I guess what I mean is we finally just became official. And then Chara..." "RESET." Frisk finished your sentence, trying to give you reassuring head pets, but it was awkward since they were just a kid. Still you were grateful for their cute attempt and you gave them a smile. However, Frisk saw right through it and sighed, sprawling out on their stomach across your lap. Geno stared at you, and for what felt like ages you all remained silent, just taking in each others company. Frisk then glanced up, first craning their neck to look at their back, which now had a few wet spots on it, and the at you. "...You're crying." You hadn't even noticed. You heard Geno let out on last sigh and then he shifted, cupping your face in his hands and staring you in the eye. You tried to move away, to wipe your tears, but he did it for you. "Love, huh? I didn't think a kid like you could love...then again, you were hiding a lot last I saw you, huh? I just didn't want to admit that...maybe there was more going on than I knew." He then looked at your SOUL, which was floating weakly near your chest. Geno took it and stared at it, watching it turn and sway in his hands. "Never seen one like this. You really are in trouble, sweet heart." Your cheeks heated up and Frisk was giggling. Geno shook his head and then brought the SOUL to his face, pressing his teeth to it. Then he gingerly pushed it back into your chest and kept his hand there, feeling your heartbeat. It felt weird. Not the bad kind of weird, but not the good kind either. It was just... weird. "Alright. Listen to me, (Y/N)...I still don't know for sure if I totally believe you, but...I believe you enough. So...don't give up, okay? For your sake, and mine. The me in your timeline, he needs you. If you guys really love each other, then he needs you so much." "But, what am I supposed to do? Just redo it all?" Geno thought for a moment and then shook his head. "No. I'm going to help you. I'll give you my super secret password." His smile grew, and for the first time since you arrived in the void it looked..sincere. He leaned over and pressed his teeth to your ear in a kiss, then said,

"I'm a stupid doodoo butt."

I want to start by saying that Geno Sans is owned by LoverOfPiggies. A lot of people don't know that apparently.

Their stuff is great. I'm a huge fan of their comic Gloomverse. Which you should read.

tumblr_oclegqiVeu1ueyr6yo2_128

No.

f188e86e361897ce3874074fd8f7c0

Seriously.

845d6591b64a2beb6c572b2295a600

You NEED to go read Gloomverse. It is a gift sent from the gods.

606832b41K1oI

7aa3005a2sfw9

Anyway, AAAAAAAY IT'S A GENO! AND SOME FLUFF!

If Chara thought you were just gonna stand there and take it, they had another thing coming


	26. Stay DETERMINED

The hospital was completely silent as you slept, unaware of what was going on around you, which was pretty much nothing anyway. You were hooked up to both a heart monitor and a SOUL monitor, and if you saw all the needles stuck in your arm, you probably would have screamed. Still, you slept peacefully, even as your SOUL continued to crumble and someone silently pushed aside the curtain and stepped up to your bed side, looking down at you. There was a tinge of sadness in the air, despite the smile on their face. They reached out and placed a bony hand just above your chest, not really touching it, but so close. Slowly they lifted their hand, and your SOUL with it. The figure remained silent, their smile growing slack when they saw the state your SOUL was in. "Ah...sweet heart." They spoke finally, in a hushed voice you might have recognized had you been able to hear it. "This really did break you, huh...part of me wishes I claimed ya back when you were little. Might've saved you from all this. Ah well, nothin' I can do now." They lifted the SOUL and held it up. The color was still faint. A good chunk of the bottom had crumbled off, and you were in great pain. "Tick tock, sweet heart. Let's go." They pressed their teeth to the SOUL and watched as the whole thing crumbled in their hand, and your heart machine flat lined. The figure let out a heavy sighed and turned to leave, staring down at the fragments in their hand that was your once vibrant, beautiful SOUL.

 ** _*But it refused*_**

Their eyes widened in amazement as the SOUL fragments in their hand began to shudder and then rise, reforming to a beautiful, pure red SOUL with a light blue tint on the outside. They made a small noise of annoyance, but their grin widened. "Heh, well, if you want to keep playing hard to get, that's fine with me tibia honest. I'll be back for you again before you know it." They turned back to your body, hearing the loud running of doctors as they approached, most likely planning to try and resuscitate you. There would be no need. The stranger set the SOUL back over your chest and watched with a fond smile as it lowered itself down.

You jolted up, gasping for air, and you could have sworn you heard a faint voice speak out to you.

"Stay determined, (Y/N)."

Another short chapter, but a fun one to write. I do wonder who your special visitor was.

Ah well, doesn't matter. It's time to get to work.


	27. Let's get down to business

You were surrounded by doctors buzzing around you and checking everything. They took your heart rate, took your blood, flashed lights in your eyes and poked and prodded your newly determined SOUL. There was no way you were going to be sneaking out with all these people around you, but still, PATIENCE was still one of your stronger traits, and you sat quiet and complied with the doctors requests. Once they finished, you asked in a sugar sweet voice if you could use one of the hospital phones to call your friend Natasha, as she was most likely ever so worried about you. And how could they say no to that? You thanked them all for their hard work and waited until they left the room before sliding off the bed. You ran a hand through your hair and began to slip into your shoes, stopping when you felt a slip of paper inside one of them. You crouched down and pulled it out, squinting to read the chicken scratch writing.

 **'* g, r, r.'**

Before, you would have taken this as some sort of threat, but for some reason you thought back to the voice you had heard when you woke up. This was no threat, or even a warning. It was just a simple reminder. You had danced with death tonight and managed to get away, but you will die one day, just like everyone else. Somehow, you found a sense of comfort in that. You set the paper on the nightstand beside the bed and finished putting your shoes on. It was quiet in the hospital as you left your room, and you were a little relieved though creeped out. Nobody would be around to bother you. You found a bunch of phones lined against the wall in a hallway and you glanced into a nearby room. The digital clock told you it was five in the morning. Good, Natasha wasn't at school yet. You lifted the phone to your ear and dialed in her cell number. The phone didn't even ring twice before Natasha answered, screaming into your ear. "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?! I WAITED OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE, LIKE, A FUCKING HOUR!" "I'm fine, Natasha. I'm just in the hospital, but I'm fine." You held the phone a little bit away from your ear. If Natasha were a monster, you were pretty sure she could be a banshee. "In the hospital?! Why the hell are you in a hospital if you're fine?!" Natasha demanded, and you sighed, running a hand down your face. "Look Nat. Shit..shit went down. You don't remember because it technically hasn't happened yet, but shit went down." Natasha was silent, trying to figure out what you meant. You shook your head. "There's a new girl at our school, and she sees ghosts. She saw Dawn and we found out that the accident two years ago wasn't an accident at all. Someone tried to kill us, Nathan got attacked, it was nuts. But now none of it happened because the monsters are here on the surface, and Frisk is really Chara, and that little bastard RESET everything!" You tried your best to explain, and Natasha was silent on the other end for a moment. Then, "...Holy shit. Then what do we do, and why are you in the hospital?" "That doesn't matter, I'm fine now. As for what we do, I'm getting out of here. You find Emilie at school, she's this Asian girl. You'll know her when you see her, trust me. You two basically become a thing." Natasha lost her mind at that part and you rolled your eyes, laughing a little. "We're going to the locker room where Nathan was attacked. I know it's sort of pointless now, since it hasn't happened, but I still want to take a look, and...bring paint." "Paint?" Natasha repeated. "For what?" "We're sending these fuckers a message."

After hanging up you glanced around, still not seeing a soul in sight. While that was good, it still was going to be difficult for you to sneak out. You went back to your room and looked around. First floor level, now all you needed to know was if the windows unlocked. You pushed aside the curtains and took a look. Wow, they actually did. This all was rather convenient. You unlocked the window and swung it open, the cold morning air hitting you in the face. Your grandparents were going to kill you when hey found out you snuck out. Hopefully they'll understand once you explaining everything later. You crawled out the window and looked around before making a mad dash across the parking lot. This whole thing really was easier than it should have been. These hospitals needed to up security. But for now, you were grateful. You made it across the street and checked for a street sign. Rome ave. Great, it would be about a half hour walk to Natasha's. Maybe you should have thought to ask her for a ride. Grumbling to yourself, you began your long trek, making sure to stick to the shadows. If someone came by and saw a girl in a hospital girl walking around, there would totally be a scene. You wished you at least had your phone to pass the time. You walked in silence the whole time, thoughts spinning in your head. What were you going to do when you see Sans? Would he even give you a chance to explain? And what about that totally weird phrase Geno said to you? I'm a stupid doodoo butt. What the hell. You shook your head and sighed tiredly. This was all too much. You wanted to start crying again. But you wouldn't. You had done enough of that.

By the time you reached Natasha's, you were sweaty and wanted a shower, and something else to wear besides this stupid hospital gown. You knocked on the door weakly, and it was jerked open by Natasha, you dragged you inside. It looked like her parents weren't home. Thank god. They hated you. "Ewww, girl you smell." Natasha pinched her nose and began pulling you upstairs. "Take a shower and then come down to eat. I already told Nate everything, and he is losing his SHIT. And you have got to tell me more about Emilie, and the monsters!" Right to the point, that was Natasha for you. She practically shoved you into her bathroom and closed the door, letting you get undressed. You turned on the shower and waited until the water got near scalding, and then stepped inside. You slowly sat down under the stream of water and held your knees to your chest. You needed to concentrate. Think of a plan. One good thing came out of this RESET. The killers didn't know that you knew now, and all you had to do was find the rest of your friend's ghosts. If you could do that without drawing attention, you might not even get hurt again. But then there was Sans and them...you had the code Geno gave you, but...should you even talk to them, or would it be better to get all this crap out of the way first? You really weren't sure. It wasn't a good idea to take on too much right now, but on the other hand you needed help. Shaking your head you stood, washed yourself, and then stepped out of the shower. Poking your head through the door, you saw that Natasha had laid some clothes out for you. You snatched them off her bed and returned to the bathroom, drying off and then getting dressed. It was a simple black maxi dress and a black shrug. Natasha had even pulled out her favorite pair of black boots for you. God, she was a saint. After running a brush through your hair you made your way back downstairs and found Emilie sitting on the couch beside Natasha, looking frightened and confused. How had Nat found her? Natasha noticed you coming down and waved. "(Y/N), I found her! Emilie has been filled in on everything that's going on. It was a little hard to convince her at first, but she's come around." "I'm seeing ghosts.." Emilie shook her head, rubbing her temples. "Holy shit..." You sat on her other side, gently rubbing her back. "Trust me, I totally understand. Has Nat told you everything?" Emilie nodded and you relaxed. Okay, good, so she knows about the monsters, Chara, and the RESET. Nathan came in and set some breakfast down for everyone. Eggs and bacon, your mouth was already watering. "What's the plan? I would rather not get stabbed by what I could only guess was a midget with a grudge." He sat on the floor at the coffee table, and you snorted a laugh. "Okay, we have four more people we need to find. Brittany, Anna, Jasper and Kent. Morgan said if we can find everyone, we'll find the truth. My grandparents called the school, I'm not expected to be there for a few days. I could easily sneak around and get into a few places no problem. Today I want to check out the boys locker room where you were attacked, and then search the science labs for Anna." "And the paint?" Natasha asked, grabbing a plate and setting it on her lap. You did the same, taking a stick of bacon and biting into it. "We're going to let them know we know...well, let them know that _somebody_ knows. But not us specifically." Nathan nodded, cutting into his scrambled eggs. You preferred sunny side up. "That's...actually that could work. If they think somebody knows, but it isn't us, that would make them nervous. They might slip up." "Exactly." You nodded, pointing your fork at him. "So, we're going to give the old locker room a...makeover. We're going to make them be the one's looking over their shoulders in fear."

The time for pity is over.

The RESET happened. You can't change that. Instead, you're going to take advantage of it all. It's time you stop being scared of these guys. These fuckers need to be scared of YOU. And they will be.

SIDE NOTE: I WILL BE DOING AU ONE OFFS.

That's right, I'll be doing sort of one off chapters with the different AU's that won't connect exactly to the main story. The first I have planned is our boi Fresh.


	28. I'm a stupid doo-doo butt

**Nathan drove you all to the school. It was only about 6:30 so it was mostly empty not counting the teachers, who were easy to avoid. You had him park at least a mile or two away from the school so nobody would be able to say his car was there at the time of the vandalism. The four of you made it through the school gates easily and got onto campus. You looked around, didn't see a soul in sight, and made your way to the boys locker near the football field. "There isn't practice today, right?" You asked Nathan, who nodded. "It's Friday, so no. We only have practice on Mondays, Wednesday's, and sometimes on Saturday." "Bitchin'. Let's get inside and do a short sweep." There most likely wasn't going to be anything useful in there. After all, the attack hadn't happened now, but it didn't hurt to look. Nathan opened the door to the locker room and ushered you inside, where you were instantly hit with the smell of sweat and feet. It took everything you had not to turn around and run out. "Oh, gross!" Natasha pinched her nose. "The girls locker room stinks, but this place reeks! What the hell, Nate!" "Hey, don't look at me!" Her twin scowled, blushing slightly. You snickered softly and began to look around. It looked like any normal locker room, and nothing seemed to stand out to you. Maybe you should head for the showers? You broke off from the group and began to head over there, but then stopped in your tracks.**

One of the showers was on.

Someone else was in the locker room.

Shit.

You turned to run back to the group and leave, but a certain Bronx accent stopped you. "Oh...well. either I'm in the wrong locker room, or you're a peeping Tom." SHIIIIIIIIT. "I totally thought this place was empty, I SWEAR." You didn't turn around, not wanting to see the short boy in his birthday suit. Sans gave a hum that told you he didn't believe you. God, you were so embarrassed. "Well, look...I'm flattered and all, but this is kinda creepy, so...if you could leave? We'll both just pretend this didn't happen, okay pal?" Why you. Why did this have to happen to you? You suddenly wished you had the power to RESET. You felt like running into traffic. You took a step forward, prepared to bolt from the locker room and go stick your head in the sand outside, where hopefully you would suffocate and die. Then you remembered Geno's words. But was now the best time? You could hear Sans tapping his foot, growing impatient. "Lady, you need to-" "(Y/N)." You interrupted him. "(Y/N) (L/N)." You're blue now. You yelped as you were suddenly jerked into the air. You tucked your legs under you and held your skirt down, not planning to share any panty shots. "You're real **s i c k,** you know that?" You could practically hear the blood boiling in Sans' voice. Crap, where were the guys? Why did they always vanish when you needed- "Put her DOWN." Oh, never mind. Natasha and the others had arrived to the scene, and Nat was giving Sans a real nasty stink eye. Sans returned a bad glare of his own. "Well, whattaya know, the freak has some friends? Great, I'm really not in the mood for massacring a whole group of people. So, you kids get the hell out and let me deal with this-" "I'm a stupid doodoo butt." The words had come out before you knew what you were saying. All you had wanted was to stop this before it escalated further. You felt yourself turning in the air and found yourself facing Sans. Luckily, he did have him gym shorts on, but he still wasn't...what you had expected. Your face went red and you covered it with your hands. "Dude, what the hell?! I always thought you were gonna be fat!" "I'm not fat, you just assumed."

You had assumed. And good god, you had been wrong.

That was not fat on Sans', not in the least. Somehow, this little jerk was BUFF. Like, abs and shit. You were not prepared for this, not in the god damn least. There was also a scar across his chest, matching where you..where Chara had killed him. God damn...

"Now, how the hell did you know that? That's my-" "Secret code word, I know." You peeked out at him between your fingers, and your face instantly heated back up. Jesus take the wheel, take it from your hands. "Y-You told me..or..I guess technically another version of you told me. Sans, please just listen to me, this is important." You wanted to get this over with. Sans kept his eyes on you as he cautiously lowered you to the ground, but kept you blue. "Make it fast. My patience with you is thin." Lovely. You took a deep breath. No beating around the bush. "Look, you might believe me or you might not, but I guess it doesn't matter which you do. Sans, I wasn't.." It wasn't you. You thought back to what he had said on your date. "I wasn't the one who killed you. It was Chara. I was in a bad place, and I was scared. They tricked me into giving them my body, and they used it to kill everyone. I never wanted to hurt any of you. I promise." You felt like you were rushing through this. Sans looked extremely confused. "Look...we've already been through this. well, not THIS." You motioned to the locker room. "But this, meeting each other again. You being pissy and threatening me, you finding out the truth. We...uh...we.." "You two started dating!" Natasha blurted out. Oh god, you thought you couldn't have been blushing any harder. However, Sans was clearly having a hard time believing all of this. You rubbed your face with your hands, sighing. "ANYWAY, things were...getting better? I guess..getting better, yeah. You knew, mom and Papyrus knew. We were going to go tell everyone, but then...Sans, Frisk..Frisk isn't Frisk! They're Chara!" He paled. you certainly had his attention now. You were no longer blue and he walked over, grabbing your arm and jerking you down to his eye level. It did hurt a little but you didn't let him know. "They're Chara?" "Yes, and they RESET everything! At least, everything within the last week! I don't know how I can remember but I can." Sans stared into your eyes and then let go of you, looking away and running a hand down his face. He looked so tired. He always had, but more so now than before. You had just confirmed his fears with Frisk, so it only made sense. You wanted to reach out and hug him. Kiss his head and tell him that things were going to be okay. But you couldn't. That would just be weird. Sans slowly sat down on one of the wooden benches in the locker room, absent mindedly running a hand over the scar on his chest. Seeing it made your heart hurt. Sans noticed you staring and his cheeks turned a soft blue. "...Alright. You have my attention. So, you and me, huh? You may have to jog my memory and remind me just why I would want to get with someone like you." Ouch. But understandable. You hesitated and then sat down beside him, nodding. "Well, uh...you see..." "(Y/N)?" Emilie interrupted, her voice soft. "Someone else is here..."


	29. The fight

Oh, crap.

At first you were worried Emilie meant that you weren't alone physically, that someone else, living, was in the locker room with you. However, you relaxed when you saw her pointing at an empty corner. Sans looked mildly surprised, having not noticed who ever it was. You reached out and grasped Emilie's hand. There, much to your surprise, was a tall boy with messy brown hair and glasses. Jasper. He looked a little disoriented at first, but then his eyes landed on you, and it felt like the room was spinning. That hadn't happened before. You used your free hand to clutch your head, wincing. You still didn't feel all to great from when your SOUL, well...shattered. When the world finally seemed to stand still, you found yourself in the old locker room. It wasn't burnt, but in it's original condition, sort of dirty, the air musty. At the very start of that day. That fight. Oh boy. You paled, seeing everyone there. Dawn, Morgan, Anna, Jasper, Brittany, Kent, and...you. Out of the corner of your eye you saw Sans, watching confused. You did not want him to see this. "Come on, Cherry bomb!" Morgan stood there, his arms crossed. "It's not like we did anything super bad! We just gave those bullies a taste of their own medicine." "You and Jasper changed peoples grades in the school system!" Past you jabbed a finger into his chest. You didn't look drastically different, though your hair was shorter then and you wore your glasses. "That could seriously mess up their future! It could wreck any potential scholarships, get them in trouble at home-" Kent waved your complaints off dramatically. That's how he went through his life, being dramatic. "Who cares, those jerks don't deserve any sort of future with how they treat us!" "They..they took your writing and flushed it down the toilet, Cherry.." Dawn said, biting her nails, a bad habit she had had since she was twelve. Past you scowled. "And? That sucks, and yes, I am mad about it, but I'm not going to stoop to their level! And I'm not going to let you guys do the same. You know better than to do this!" You really did not want to see this. You had half a mind to let go of Emilie's hand, but...Jasper was showing you this for a reason. You had to tough it out. For him. For everyone. Even for Kent. The guy may have been an asshole, but even he didn't deserve to be murdered. "Oh, come off it, Cherry." Brittany spoke up, adjusting the corset she wore over her white dress shirt. "It's not like they'll ever find out it was us, if that's what you're worried about. Big brother and I covered everyone's tracks just fine." Past you shook her head, clenching her fists. "That's not what I'm mad about, and you aren't listening!" "We ARE Listening, Cherry Bomb." Kent said sternly. Dead or not, you wanted to deck him in the face. Especially knowing what he was about to say and do. "Look, I _understand_. You were forced to hurt those people, those monsters, and you want to be a good person. I respect that, babe, but-" "Do NOT call me babe." Your old self snapped.

"And no, you DON'T understand, or you wouldn't be doing this!" "(Y/N), you're either with us or against us." Kent crossed his arms. "It's time we stop letting these idiots bully us like that-" "So what, you decided to be come the bullies?" God, this was so awkward to watch. Sans looked confused and his eyes flickered between you, and the version of you from two years ago. "(Y/N)..what is going on?" He whispered, scared that these figures from the past would hear him. You sighed, rubbing your temple with your free hand. The temple with the scar. "It's..just a memory. A fight from two years ago." When was this going to stop? So awful and embarrassing. Still, your past self continued to yell. "Because that's all you're being, bullies! I know what they do to us isn't okay, but this isn't okay either! It makes you look weak, like you can't make yourselves feel better unless you hurt them back-" Your past self was interrupted when Kent slapped her across the face, hard. Just watching it made your cheek sting. Your old friends gasped, and so did Emilie. Sans was merely staring, wide eyed as your past self staggered back, slipped, and smacked her head against the bench, cutting it pretty badly. This would leave a scar. Something to remind you of this stupid fight. Dawn went to run to you but Kent stopped her. "(Y/N) has told us where she stands on the matter. She doesn't support us, so she's no longer one of us. Anyone who wants to leave with her can, but be aware that you'll be our next targets."

After that was said, nobody came to your aid.

Your past self pushed herself off the ground, touching the blood that was streaming from the cut on her temple. God you remembered how much that thing hurt like a bitch.

"Leave, (Y/N). You aren't welcome here."

"...I never should have become friends with you. Any of you. You say you're victims but you're no different than them. Just bullies wearing DIY clothes instead of name brand."

Once your past self stumbled out of the locker room, the world began to spin again. Oh dear. This was all a bit much.

You felt your legs give out beneath you and you let go of Emilie's hands, allowing yourself to sink to the ground. You panted hard, clutching your chest. Maybe leaving the hospital was a bad idea, but oh well, too late for that now. Emilie, Natasha and Nathan gathered around you, trying to make sure you were okay. However, they moved when Sans stood, walking over. Since you were sitting, you were about his eye level now. He reached out and tilted your head to the side, moving your hair so he could see the thin scar across your temple. "He hit you, (Y/N)." Sans spoke in a hushed tone. " **u.** "


	30. Jasper gives the 411

This was so awkward. You, your friends, and Sans stood huddled together in the locker room, you, Natasha and Nathan holding hands with Emilie so you could see Jasper. He looked even more meek and awkward than he had been when he was alive. "Cherry...what are you doing in here? You know this is the..um.." He trailed off, laughing a forced, awkward laugh. "I should be asking you the same thing. Out of all the places, why are you in here? You HATE it in here, all the-" "All the football players would stuff me in the lockers, I know." Jasper sighed. "It's like this...we're tied to places we spent a lot of time in, but that doesn't mean they were places we _liked_." Oh. That put a bit of a monkey wrench in your plan. Sans frowned, glowering at Jasper. "Who the hell are you, who was that piece of shit that hit (Y/N), and what the HELL is going on?" He was not a happy camper. You rubbed your scarred temple with your free hand. It still tingled. "Hes..an old friend. Sans, this is Jasper." "Wait..Sans? Like the one you told us about?" Jasper seemed to perk up a little. "So, then everything is..okay, with you all now? He knows about Chara and stuff? Oh, I'm so glad." Sans look between you and the ghostly teenager. "He knows about what happened?" "Oh yes. Cherry bomb had told all of us...I'm glad I got to be here and see the day when you got it all sorted..even if I'm dead." You could see the confusion on Sans' face, and silently promised him you would explain later. "Anyway, what's going on is..Jasper and the people you saw in that weird..flashback..mirage..thingy, they were my friends. And they died in a fire. For two years I thought it was an accident, but as it turns out, it wasn't. Someone killed them and-" 'Now they're after you." Jasper sighed, adjusting his glasses. You gave a nod, and Sans frowned deeply.

"Uh, I can't tell you much...though I overheard. If things were RESET I figure you already know the rules." Jasper scratched the back of his neck. "I can tell you this...each person involved, 3 total, is someone you know. One never planned for it to be a murder. The other has murdered plenty before us, and the last one doesn't even want to be involved. The last one will help you, if you can find them." That wasn't a big surprise, but still, it was good to have the confirmation. "I'm guessing you can't tell us who it is?" Nathan asked, and Jasper nodded solemnly. "But, I can tell you something important...you won't suspect them. At all." Well, that shot down Tammy, the Hailey's, and even Chara. "Alright...well, I guess coming in here wasn't a total waste of time." You sighed but smiled at Jasper. "Thanks, Jasper the friendly ghost." He chuckled at the name. "Hehe...don't thank me Cherry. We totally abandoned you. Making sure you stay safe, doing what little I can.." "Don't even start." You rolled your eyes. "I already did this with Dawn and Morgue. So..you're sorry for not siding with me, and I'm sorry for saying I regret being your friend. Bygones be bygones, deal?" "Deal." Jasper gave you a small smile. "Please stay safe...and, uh..what was that thing Morgan always says?" You snickered. "Fuck pacifism." "Yeah, that! Do what you gotta to stop these guys, so, fuck pacifism!" Still adorable, even when he was dead. God you missed Jasper, and everyone else. "Well...you should go, it's almost seven" Jasper said, and you nodded, letting go of Emilie's hand. The others followed suit. Sans was still staring at the spot where Jasper had been, and possibly still was. "...You're going to tell me everything that happened before the RESET, (Y/N). Including everything involving..us. Just let me get dressed and I'll meet you outside." Oh boy. You groaned internally but nodded. The faster you got this over with, the better. In the mean time, you could start laying out your trap. Was it a trap? Could you call it that? You were just putting up a message to scare them. You and your friends left the locker room and you turned to Emilie. "I just want to be sure..do you REALLY want to get involved? It's dangerous." Now that you had Sans..maybe, you didn't have to rely on Emilie anymore, so she didn't need to put herself in anymore danger. Emilie shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere. I may not remember what happened before, but I know everything you told me was true. After seeing everything back there, you can't expect me to bail now."

Honestly, you shouldn't have been surprised.

"Alright, if that's your decision. Natasha, got the paint?" "Aye aye, cap." She set her backpack down and pulled out the paint. You nodded. "Good. Then let's hurry to the old locker room before the campus gets flooded." The four of you headed off towards the football field, crossing it to get to the old, burnt locker room. You had them keep watch as you took the brush from Natasha's back as well, painting your message in large red letters on the locker rooms outer walls. Once you were done you stepped back to examine your handiwork.

 ** _WE KNOW THE TRUTH._**

 ** _WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID._**

 ** _YOU CAN'T HIDE ANYMORE._**

"Very subtle. I like it." There was Sans.

You looked down at him and smiled, blinking as he motioned for you to come down to his level. You leaned down and he sighed, rubbing some red paint off your face. "Geez, you're like a little , if what you've said is the truth...I guess I can see why you and me are...ya know." He shrugged, winking. You flushed and gave your own shrug. "Uh, I guess. So, you really think this is okay? I mean...it's kinda a bit too late, but.." "Yeah, works for me. It makes your point loud and clear, tibia honest." He chuckled and then sighed, his smile falling. "Okay, (Y/N), you officially have my undivided attention. Let's get outta here before we get caught, and we're going to have a chat."

Oh dear.

The message has been put up, now it's time to wait for everyone to see. And while you do that, you and Sans are going to have a talk. You two sure do have a lot of heart to hearts, huh?

And it's three people you know, but wouldn't expect. So that removes Tammy, the Hailey's, and Chara from the list, not that anybody ever really thought of the first two choices anyway.

Let's see where this goes, shall we?


	31. Dust dust we all fall down

You were in pain. You didn't know why, but you were. It felt like you had fallen from a great height and landed hard on the ground. However, after moving a little, you determined that nothing was broken, nor were you bleeding. Slowly you opened your eyes and found yourself laying on your back and staring up from the bottom of a large hole, the sun barely filtering in from the top. You had a bad feeling about this. Sitting up on your elbows you saw that you had landed in a sickeningly familiar bed of golden flowers. Chara's grave. You pushed yourself up and winced. Yeah, everything hurt. Just standing there made your legs feel like jelly, but you tried to keep your cool. This was a dream. It had to be, it had too...

"Well, well, well..."

You recognized that rage inducing voice. Glancing down you found none other than Flowey near your feet, looking up at you with a smug smirk. "don't you look like you're trying hard to keep it together?" His annoying voice was already giving your a headache. You rubbed your temple and sighed. "What the hell is going on, weed?" "Wow, rude. And here I am planning to be _nice_." Now THAT was funny. You gave a snort. "You? Nice? Bull." "Again, rude. You know, I don't have to be here. I could be enjoying the show as Frisk and their partner do Genocide~" Hold up. You stared at him in silence before sitting on your knees, your face close to his. "Okay, ASSriel. You're going to tell me everything or I'll-" "Or you'll _what_?" The soulless flower snickered. "Everyone down here remembers what you did. Remembers how you killed them. Their friends. Their loved ones. I don't think violence, even towards me, will change their perception of you, do you?" He waited for a replace. Instead, you got a firm grip on his stem. "Maybe it won't, but maybe I don't care. Tell me what the hell is going on, or I will rip you from the ground and pluck your nasty little petals one by one. I am done playing your games." That certainly had the affect you wanted. Flowey looked scared. "Y-You wouldn't-" "Oh, I would." You slightly tugged on his stem and he yelped. "Okay, okay! Frisk is about to do their first genocide! They've already killed almost everyone here, and they'll reach Toriel soon!" Shit. You let him go and god back to your feet. stepped over him and towards the room's exit. He watched you with a glare but didn't dare do anything.

After all, this was finally something new...

((Very short chapter, but...important.

What's going on? You'll just have to wait and see? This doesn't affect the main story to much. At least, not right now...))


	32. Save?

You entered the RUINS, coming to the first puzzle. It had been ages since you had been in here, and you couldn't remember how any of the puzzles went. _'The RUINS are full of puzzles. Ancient fusions between diversions and door keys. One must solve them to move from room to room. Please adjust yourself to the sight of them.'_ Toriel's words echoed in your mind and you examined the room. It was a simple, small room with a trail leading to the door, which was locked. On the right of you were about 6 stoned big enough to stand on, four off to the side and two in the middle. There was also a sign on the wall. Sighed, you walked over and squinted to read the old, faded writing.

 _*Only the fearless may proceed._

 _Brave ones, foolish ones,_

 _Both not walk the middle road*_

Okay, you remembered this one. It was a pretty easy puzzle, actually. You just walked on the stones except the ones in the middle, and you heard the door click open. You pushed it open and stepped inside. There was some dust on the floor. The sight of it made you feel sick.

"Froggit?"

You cupped your hands around your mouth, calling out into the RUINS.

"Napstablook?"

"Frisk?!"

"Mom?!"

 ***But nobody came***

Okay, no, this was bad. You felt a knot growing in your stomach and you took off down the hall, running as fast as you could. Not a single monster approached you, neither to fight nor speak. As you ran, you found you were kicking up dust. Why..why would Frisk do this? They hadn't been tricked like you had with Chara, you remember Frisk saying that to Geno. So why would they go genocide? You skidded to a halt as you reached the room with the spikes going across the water. Shit, that wasn't safe, and you needed to get to mom, fast. Looking aroun frantically you saw yet another sign posted on the wall and hurried over to it.

*The western room

is the eastern room's blueprint*

Okay, okay, you could do this. You went back to the previous room and studied it for a minute, making sure to memorize the path, and even walked through it a few times before going back to the spiked room. Taking a deep breath you pressed your foot onto the first tile. The spikes went down. Okay, you were off to a good start! The process was painstakingly slow and you hated it. How many more monsters were being killed while you were forced to waste your time on this stupid puzzle? What about mom? God, you hoped she was okay. Once you reached the the safety of the other side you booked it out of the room. You spotted the candy room and decided that getting a few handfuls might not hurt. After all, the monster candy did regain health if you got hurt. Not that anyone was there to hurt you. Even the long line of Froggit's were gone, and in their place small piles of dust. You sighed, hanging your head and started to leave when you saw that...shiny thing. The same one Chara had used to RESET. You walked over and stared. It was like..like a little star. You walked through the leaves and knelt down, touching it.

*Playfully crinkling through the leaves fills you with DETERMINATION*

SAVE?

Your eyes widened as you stared at the sort of screen that had appeared before you. There was already a file saved.

FILE: CHARA

You could save over it. You could RESET.

((

Looks like you just usurped someone's powers. But what does that mean, and why are you even down in the UNDERGROUND?

What's your purpose?))


	33. Short cut

"(Y/N). Come on, wake up."

You groaned as someone shook you gently and rolled over, curling up to try and get some more sleep. There were some snickers and then someone began to poke at your cheeks. "She probably shouldn't have left the hospital" Said a voice, Natasha's it sounded like. "Hospital?" Asked a second voice. You could tell by the accent that it was Sans. You were beginning to come to, but not completely. "What was she in the hospital for?" "My SOUL shattered." Yup. You were still asleep enough to do something as stupid as that. There was stunned silence and then hot breath tickled your ear. " t. p, N O W." Welp, that was all you needed. You sat up, accidentally slamming your head against Sans'. You moaned and held your head, and Sans did the same, scowling as he spoke. "You _died_?!" "It didn't stick!" Was the wonderful response you came up with. Sans ran a hand down his face and gave you a glare. "(Y/N), I'm taking you back to the hospital." Something in his voice told you arguing wasn't a good idea. Then you noticed where you were. The back of Nathan's car. "What happened?" "You fainted." Sans replied, an edge in his voice. "Probably because you were stupid enough to leave the hospital after you DIED. (Y/N), What if something is seriously wrong with your SOUL?! What if-" You cut him off by holding up a hand. "My SOUL is fine. If you want to see for yourself, go ahead." Sans stared at you and then got out of the car, holding out his hand to help you. You took it without hesitation and then the others climbed out as well. Sans stared at you for a moment and then reached his hand out, placing it on your chest. This was...a little awkward, especially with your friends watching. Your face heated up and you saw that his was doing the same. When he pulled his hand back, he pulled your SOUL with it, a brilliant, beautiful red heart with a tinge of light blue outlining it, and not a crack in sight. Sans stared down at it in his hands.

"(Y/N)...you're...pretty DETERMINED, huh? Heh.."

There was relief in his voice, and he returned your SOUL, but kept his hand on your chest, feeling your heart beat, and gave you a stern look. "We're still going back to the hospital, (Y/N). You fainted. Like it or not, you seem to be telling the truth, and that means you and I are..." He trailed off for and then shook his head, frowning. "It means that I love you, even if admitting it still gives me a bit of a sour taste in my mouth." You weren't sure if you should be ecstatic that he just said he LOVED you, or offended that admitting it left a sour taste. Sans continued before you could decide. "I mean...I'm aware of the RESET's, and I can remember them, to an extent. Not totally, and not all of them. I don't remember what happened before. But I remember this feeling I have. And seeing that...you. Seeing you arguing against hurting people, even people who hurt you, and seeing you now, risking your life to bring justice to those who turned their backs on you.." He took a deep breath and exhaled, taking his hand back and looking away. "...I love you, (Y/N). I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, and that includes yourself. So if I have to drag your ass kicking and screaming back to the hospital, I will." Wow...your face had gone red and you were struggling to keep the smile from your face. There was only one thing on your mind. "Hey Sans? Knock knock." Sans raised his brows.

"Who's there...?"

"Olive."

"Olive who?"

"Olive you too."

Sans stared up at you, his mouth hanging open and stars in his eyes. You smiled and leaned down, kissing he top of his head. "I'll go back to the hospital with you. But I'll need an excuse for why I left. And...I want to see the initial reaction to our message. Is that okay?" Sans blinked a little, as if just being brought back to reality, and nodded. "Alright, that's fine by me. As for an excuse-" "You were confused?" Emilie suggested suddenly. "Say, like...after you called Natasha you sort of..blipped? Forgot where you were, freaked out, and left trying to go home. Then Sans can say Natasha called him, and he was on his way to see you at the hospital when he found you walking. He had Natasha bring you some clothes and now he took you back to the hospital. You did just die, so it would be reasonable for your mind to be kinda...derp, yeah?" Oh hey, that was actually a good idea. You and Sans agreed to it, and then you said goodbye to your friends. Nathan tossed you his spare car key, telling you to hide out there until you were ready to go. Sitting low in the back seat with Sans, you had about 15 more minutes until buses and others would start to arrive. You and Sans were silent at first. It wasn't uncomfortable, but you could feel him staring. You finally turned your head, planning to ask him what was up, but his lips crashed onto yours before you could. It wasn't a long kiss by any means. It was actually sort of awkward, but there was love in it, and fire works were going off in your head when Sans pulled away. His eyes were stars again and he had one hand holding your face. You smiled widely at him and motioned for him to come up onto your lap. His eyes flickered between your lap and your face, clearly unsure. "I-It's fine. You sat there a lot anyway." With that said Sans climbed into your lap and looked up at you, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, I just..." "It's okay, Comic Sans." You snickered and ran your fingers through his hair, watching as buses finally began to pull in. It was only minutes before students had gathered around the old locker room, checking out what you had painted. In all her pink, you could easily see Natasha putting on a good show. Her movements were of someone who was clearly upset, and she was getting into the faces of Tammy and Hailey M, most likely accusing them of it. Nathan and Emilie were even pretending to hold her back. "She in drama?" Sans chuckled, and you shook your head. "Well, she should be. This good? I can use a short cut to get us to the hospital." Your eyes danced around the crowd that had formed. A lot of people were freaking out. Hazel looked like she was about to cry, and Justin was rubbing her back. They Hailey's were snickering, probably thinking it was some joke while Tammy and Natasha screamed at each other. Nothing stood out. "Yeah...let's go. Hopefully my grandparents won't kill me." You and Sans got out of the car and you locked it before taking Sans' hand. "Lead the way."

You both walked across the street, towards a cluster of tress with low hanging branches. You crouched down, following Sans through, and your stomach dropped when your foot, instead of touching the ground, touched nothing. Sans felt you squeeze his hand and looked back at you. "It's okay. Just keep hold of my hand, okay?" He continued to walk forward and you followed, keeping close to him. You were surrounded by darkness and what looked like binary code flying through the air. It was chilly and your arms were covered in goosebumps. As you looked around, you noticed something flying around that didn't match the binary.

? ﾸﾎ❄︎✌︎✡︎ ? ﾸﾎ ︎❄︎ ︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ✋︎ ︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ? ﾸﾎ ? ﾸﾎ ︎✋︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ.


	34. Mother

"(Y/N) (M/N) (L/N)! Where have you been?!" Oooh, you knew you were in trouble if the full name came out. You looked up at your grandmother with a sheepish smile. "I-I'm Sorry, Grandmama! I just..I don't know..." You thought back to Emilie's plan. "I sort of...forgot what was going on? And I couldn't remember where I was or find you. I got scared so I tried to get home." The lie was only making her worry more, but you had to. "Luckily, I guess after I called Natasha she called my...my boyfriend, Sans." On que, the short blond stepped up and gave a lazy wave. "Hi..um..I was on my way to see (Y/N) when I Came across her. I took her by Natasha's to get her some clothes...hope you don't mind." Your grandmother was silent, staring at Sans. Of course, thanks to the RESET she didn't know him. Which meant you had just told her you had a boyfriend, and haven't told her about him sooner. And his name. You knew she recognized Sans' names from your childhood nightmares. She sighed, gently taking your hand. "Thank you, Sans. (Y/N) is going to go back inside so the doctors can see her...would you like to come with us?"

"Actually, um...if it's okay with (Y/N), I think I need to call some others who will want to see her?" You knew what that meant. Mom, Papyrus, and everyone else. You were dreading having to do this again, but You had to. You took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, please...I want to see goat mom and Papy..." Sans gave you a thumbs up and motioned you down. Knowing what it was, you were a little embarrassed because your grandparents were watching. Still, you leaned down and smiled as Sans kissed your temple, the one with the scar. "I'll be right inside." "Okay, Comic Sans. See you in a few minutes." You waved as you followed your grandparents inside, and your grandmother went straight to it. "Sans? Like in those nightmares that used to scare you so bad you wet the bed?" Oh that god he wasn't there to hear that. "Yes, grandmama. That Sans. And he's calling the others. Toriel, his brother, and his...OUR friends." Everyone was going to learn the truth. Including your grandparents. And if they didn't approve...too bad. The monsters were your family too. You weren't losing them. Not again. Your grandfather furrowed his brow. "But..you were so scared of that boy-" "I was. But I'm not anymore. He loves me, Papa. And I love him." So much. You had never, ever, liked anyone romantically this much before. "So what you told us, even this Toriel woman who took care of you, they're real?" "Yes, goat mom is real. Knowing her she'll be here within the next 15 minutes." Hopefully leaving Chara in school. Sanchez was all over You the minute she saw You, and You groaned internally. After repeating your explanation as to why you ran away, she insisted on a brain scan and another SOUL scan. Boy was she going to be in for a shock. By the time you had finished the brain scan, Sans had come inside and was chatting with your grandparents as they waited for you. You heard him mention that he worked night shift security at a lab, most likely Alphys', You assumed. His face lit up when he saw you. "(Y/N), Tori and the others are on their way. She's..leaving the kid at school, I asked her to. But the weed is coming. He insisted." Your grandparents might kill him. You totally wanted to see that. "Thanks, Comic Sans. I'm..both scared and excited to see everyone again. But I'm sure once this is all sorted, well...things will get better, hopefully." "Sans was just telling us about his job, and he mentioned his father, a man named Gaster. Didn't you used to have an imaginary friend by that name?" Your grandfather asked. Sans' eyes grew wide while You furrowed your brow, trying to remember.

 _'Child, we are going to build a black hole.'_

 _'Gaster, noooooo.'_

"Oh, yeah."

Your response had certainly thrown Sans for a loop. You nodded your head, leading them to the room where your SOUL would be checked. The sooner you got this over with, the better. "He used to help me with homework and stuff." "You said he helped you build that mini tornado, with the water bottles, back in the 6th grass." Your grandmother reminded you. Yeah. That was after you convinced him not to do the black hole thing for the science fair. He was such a weird old man. Sans looked ready to add to the conversation but stopped when he saw the X-ray machine you would be laying in soon. "What's that?" He asked, frowning. You shrugged. "The X-ray thingie. They use it to look at my SOUL." "Will it hurt?" Yeah, he really didn't like the looks of that thing. You giggle and sat against the wall, pulling him down onto your lap. Your grandparents stares but Sans got himself situated. "Nope. I'll just have to lay in the same position for about 10 minutes, and it's annoying and cramps my neck." That made him relax. The next few minutes waiting for Sanchez to get back with the brain scan results were spend in silence. Sans was holding your hands, drawing on the back of them with his nails while your grandparents watch, still uncertain about how to feel with you two. You were happy, at least, and he seemed to have a good job, despite being a 'young' high schooler. The door slammed open and instead of Sanchez, Toriel rushed inside in her human form. "Where is she?! Where is my child?!" "M-Mom?" You were surprised to see her so soon. She wore a plain top and skirt, and glasses. She must have just come from the school she taught at. She looked down and saw yo with Sans sitting in your lap and her eyes widened. Suddenly Sans found himself sitting on the floor as the older woman scooped you up in her arms, holding you close. You could feel her practically shaking and it just dawned on you how scared she must have been when Sans called her. You awkwardly patted her back. "I-It's okay, mom. I'm okay." You reassured her, and Toriel sighed, setting you down. She noticed your grandparents staring and adjusted her glasses, clearing her throat. "I-I'm sorry for barging in. I'm-" "Toriel." Your grandmother cut her off, continuing to stare. Oh, this had gotten awkward. After a minute of dead silence, your grandmother suddenly walked up and hugged the white haired woman. "Thank you. (Y/N) said you took care of her when she got lost and...I don't know what would have happened has you not found her."

And the reunions begins.


	35. Spooky scary: Halloween special part 1

This wasn't right.

Something was wrong.

Everything was wrong.

You didn't remember how you ended up UNDERGROUND. You just remembered preparing with your friends for the big Halloween party and school, and now?

Now you were hiding, tears in your eyes and shaking as you watched Undyne dragging away the lifeless body of Justin, a close friend of yours from school. You hadn't even seen it coming. The two of you were trekking through the snow, hoping to find Toriel or someone, when suddenly he shouted that somebody was there and shoved you into the trees. Undye appeared, looking dressed for a party but...strange, and struck him down. Justin had gone limp, and the snow turned red with blood. You stayed there, staring at the trail of blood left behind even long after the two had gone. You hadn't realized how cold you were until-

"(Y/N)? You shouldn't be here...look how cold you are!"

You knew that voice, but...sit sounded funny. You glanced behind you.

A flower, with golden petals and a single green eye.

"...Flowey?"

Oh god, you needed to leave. You needed to leave NOW.

"(Y/n). Leave."

Oh. Well. That was a surprise. You got to your feet, realizing tears had been streaming down your face, and hurried to wipe them away. Flowey took you in with that creepy eye of his. You were dressed in your costume for the party, the beating heart bride from the Haunted Mansion ride. A poor choice when trampling around in the snow. You began rubbing your arms, trying to get even a little warm. "...What do I do? How do I go home? I don't even know how I got here and..wh-what's happened? Flowey...Asriel-" "What happened...doesn't matter." The flower swayed from side to side as he spoke, almost as if he was contemplating. "As for how to get you home...my guess would be something is going on with the barrier, and since Undyne was bus killing your little boyfriend instead of investigating that, she doesn't know about it. So if I'm right, we can use that." He nodded to himself now, deciding that was the best course of action without even asking you. You frowned deeply, trembling from the cold. "The barrier? but that's in new home. Asgore would-" "Asgore is dead." He cut you off. "Another child fell after you. They managed to reset the damage you had...Chara and I had forced you to do, but instead of making things better, they made them worse. So much worse. Some monsters have had to resort to eating fallen humans to keep from starving. Undyne is the queen now, and she's become a cruel, sadistic person." More tears stung your eyes. "She blames you and the other fallen child for all of this. Being Halloween, at least, from Asgore's old calendar it looks that way, she's going to hold a giant party. There will be a lot of dangerous monsters there. However, she will be distracted enough we can sneak to the barrier. It will not be easy, and you WILL get hurt, but it is the only chance we have (Y/N)."

"(Y/N)?"

You didn't hear the voice behind you, for you had begun to cry, sobs raking your body as you hid your face in your hands. "Oh my..oh my god...this is all my fault." It was like you had become numb to the cold, and slowly lowered yourself down to your knees. Flowey was silent for a moment, and then slowly, almost tentatively, he began to talk. "...It was never your fault, (Y/N). It was mine and Chara's. You were scared, very scared, and...we used that to possess your body and kill everyone." He paused, as if choosing his words carefully.

"You were just as much a victim in this as the monsters were."

You shrieked as you were suddenly lifted off the ground. Tears still in your eyes you craned your neck to see who had grabbed you. It was Papyrus, only he looked... _horrifying_. His teeth were long and jagged, stained with something red. You wanted to believe it was spaghetti sauce, but your gut told you is was something far, far more sinister. Your breath was caught in your throat. You were too scared to breath or look away.

"I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU DIDN'T WANT TO HURT US!"


	36. A family reunion, with monsters

Not surprising to you or Sans, you SOUL was fine. This did startle your grandparents, Toriel, and Doctor Sanchez, though. You had just died. Your SOUL had totally shattered. Not only was it perfectly fine now, but it was filled to the brink with DETERMINATION. Sanchez wanted to run more tests, so you would be there for a few days. After mulling it over, you had no issue with this. figuring this would give you an alibi for the painting, and let your message settle, bite at the conscious of the one who didn't plan for the murder, and the one who didn't want to be involved at all. You sat in your hospital bed, Sans setting beside you, his feet hanging off. Your grandmother had spent the last five minutes trying to get more information out of you and Toriel about what had happened, however you told her it was best to wait until the others arrived. And you knew exactly when they did.

"WHERE IS THE BRAT! I AM GOING TO KILL HER!"

"UNDYNE, PLEASE CALM DOWN! SANS SAID WE NEED TO LISTEN TO WHAT SHE HAS TO SAY! AND I'M SURE (Y/N) IS A GOOD PERSON DEEP DOWN, I'M SURE!"

Que Undyne and Papyrus. You burrowed under the covers a little, eyes locked on the door. Sans reached out and held your hand tightly, giving you a reassuring smile. You knew he wouldn't let Undyne do anything to you, and neither would mom. The door slammed open and you jumped slightly. In walked Undyne. She had the appearance of a tan, muscular woman with long, blood red hair and an eyepatch. Behind her was Papyrus, who looked just as you remembered, blond haired and blue eyed. Behind him was Alphys, who was short and chubby, with blonde hair and blue eyes, Mettaton, who looked pretty much the same, but with a nice tan instead of metal, Napstablook, who was ghostly pale and wore all white. The last two was King Fluffybuns himself, much to your grandparent's horror as he kept his giant, fluffy monster body, and then in came a man with olive colored skin, messy brown hair, and he had snuck a cigarette into the hospital. You nearly shrieked. "BURGIE!" "Burgie?" Sans repeated, his brow furrowed. Burgerpants gave you a tired wink and finger guns. Yeah, he looked just as tired as he had UNDERGROUND. "Hey little buddy. I was getting worried, you hadn't messaged me in like, a week." The look on your boyfriend's face was both terrifying and hilarious. "You..kept in contact with HIM?" He jabbed a finger in Burgerpant's direction. You scratched the back of your head. "Well...yeah? He was really the only one I felt comfortable talking to after I got out of the UNDERGROUND, and he was was willing to listen..." "LISTEN TO WHAT?!" Undyne lunged to get into your face, but was blocked by Sans, Toriel, and Burgerpant's. "Undyne, please, listen to what (Y/N) has to say." Toriel begged, and looked hopeful when Asgore placed a furry hand on the royal guard's shoulder. That look faded when he said in a cold, authoritative voice, "Toriel, she _killed_ our people. Why should we listen to anything she has to say?" Oh crap. Oh crap, oh crap. The air in the room was so tense it was almost suffocating. Your grandfather, being the ex military he was, seemed to show no fear as he got between you and your new visitors. Mettaton was recording the whole thing. No shocker. "I have no idea who any of you are or what the hell you're talking about, but if you intend to hurt my little girl, then I suggest you get out before I hurt you." Undyne almost looked impressed. Almost. However she got right in his face. "What happened, is that brat KILLED me and my friends. So step aside or I'll take you out along with her!" "...Those stories.' Your grandmother spoke up finally, looking at you and then Asgore. "The one's you told about falling UNDERGROUND...they were..true? Were they true, (Y/N)." Everything was moving too fast. You felt like you couldn't breath. You threw the covers off and climbed off the bed. Ugh, the floor was so cold. "...yes, Grandmama, they were. All the stories I told you were true."

"Undyne, Asgore...everybody. I know you're angry. You hate me...and I can't blame you. I don't think I can ask for your forgiveness either, despite what some people here might say." You glanced at Sans and Toriel. "But, please, let me tell you what really happened back them. That's all I'm asking." "She wasn't the one who hurt you all." Burgerpants added, ruffling your hair. He could sense how tense you were. "Trust me." "You knew?" Sans was very clearly not happy about this turn of events. "You knew this whole time and you didn't tell us?!" "Would you have believed me?" Burgerpants answered Sans' question with another question, taking a drag from his cigarette. Sans grew silent, giving the taller man a glare. He knew Burgerpant's had a point. Didn't mean he had to like it. Your grandmother looked at everyone and then at you. "So...these are all really-" "Yes, we are monsters." Toriel sighed, and as she did her human form faltered, slwoly fading to reveal the giant fluffy goat woman she really was. Burgerpants did the same, showing himself to be a acne covered, tired looking cat man, then there was Sans, your smol skeleton boyfriend. Your grandmother looked ready to faint, while your grandfather still looked ready to make Undyne catch his hands. "Monsters are real...?" She looked to you again. You nodded, trying to ignore the burning glare Undyne was giving you. Alphys was hiding behind her but Papyrus, having returned to his bony self as well, had taken his spot beside his brother. "They're real...so you were really possessed by a ghost child named Chara and forced to murder an entire..species?" He motioned to Asgore and them. The minute that name left your grandmother's mouth, every monster except Sans, Papyrus, and Burgerpants froze. Papyrus most likely because he didn't know the implications of that name. You yelped as you were suddenly lifted off the ground by Asgore's large hand around your throat. He had fire summoned in his free hand and boy, if looks could kill. " **You will not drag my child's name through the mud as an excuse for the pain you caused, human.** " Shit, shit, shit! Before anything more could be said, Asgore found himself kicked in the stomach by nonother than your grandfather. He was a tall, thin man, extremely forgetful in his old age. Due to this, he didn't look like much, but he once had his foot run over by a gas truck, and a plane door come down on his arm. This awesome old man had no fucks to give, and he would kill for you. Undyne went for him and that's when Toriel got in the middle of it all. "YOU WILL LISTEN TO WHAT MY CHILD HAS TO SAY, AND ANYONE WHO LAYS A HAND ON HER AND HER FAMILY WILL REGRET IT! **DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!** "

The room grew silent. Burgerpants helped you to your feet and your grandmother pulled you to her, holding you tight. You really couldn't have hoped for things to go better, but you had hopes this wouldn't happen at fucking least!

You pulled away from your grandmother, shaking a little, and returned to the bed, crawling onto it. Keeping his eyes on Asgore, Sans climbed up beside you and let you pull him onto your lap. Undyne made a noise of disgust. "Traitor." " r." He replied, his sockets having gone hollow. Undyne stepped back slightly, having never seen him like this before. Papyrus let out a sigh. "Everyone, please! There is no need to fight here. Besides, (Y/N) is not in good health. She needs to rest. Please, just listen to her explanation." "Yes." Toriel said, her voice stern as she glared at Asgore. "There is no way she could know about Chara. So I don't care how you feel about it, but I need to know the truth." She walked over, taking a stand by your grandmother's side. Your grandparents seemed uncertain at first, but allowed it. "(Y/N), tell us everything."

((IT'S ABOUT TO GO DOWN.

And YOOOO BURGERPANTS IS YOUR BROOOOOOOOOO))


	37. Chara

This was stupidly awkward, and you were already emotionally exhausted. Your grandparents were both angry and scared, while most the monsters in the room were angry, and if Mettaton shoved that camera in your face one more time, you were gonna deck him. Sans held your hand loosely, and Papyrus had placed a reassuring hand on your back. Burgerpants leaned against a wall and sighed. "Let's just get this over with. Tell 'em about Chara, little buddy."

You nodded and straightened yourself a little, glaring as Mettaton got in front of you with his camera. "Alright darling, get started! Everyone is just DYING to know the truth behind us, well, DYING." "Napstablook, for his safety, please for the love of god get him out of my face." You decided to ask the sweet, shy ghost instead of Mettaton himself. Blooky sighed and gently pulled the robot back, who was grumbling dramatically. He would have gotten along with Kent, you were sure. You licked your lips and ran a hand through your hair. "When...I fell UNDERGROUND, I had been running away." You started, deciding it was best to go fro the beginning. "Not from my grandparents, but from my foster parents. Those are adults the government sends you to when they find your parents unfit to raise you. Anyway, my foster parents weren't good people. They put stuff in the food that made me sick, locked me in the guest room every weekend all weekend, and if I wet the bed I would be forced to sit in the bathroom four hours." Toriel let out a soft gasp as you rushed through your childhood on the surface. "I was..angry, and hurting, and when I fell UNDERGROUND after running, I guess I just...took that out on all of you. You were all...well, MOST of you were very kind to me, and tolerated me, and despite that I treated you awfully. I know there's no excuse for how I was, but I was just..angry, and hurting and scared. Very, very scared." "Well, I mean...Asgore and Undyne did try to kill you when you first arrived, so..." Napstablook spoke quietly and Burgrpants snorted at the looks the two aforementioned monsters gave the ghost. You gave a slight smile and shook your head. "Still, how I was acting wasn't okay." "You were dying, (Y/N)." Burgerpants spoke up. "We all saw your SOUL, how messed up it was." He finally put out his cigarette and flicked it into the nearby trash can. "I'm pretty sure that gives your crappy attitude a free pass." You waved his comment off, and Toriel's as well when she tried to speak. "Moving on. I mostly stayed in the RUINS with mom, as you all know. I liked it there...it was quiet, and everyone left me alone. I liked to play by the golden flowers. Mom told me not to...that's where Flowey always came from. But I dunno, I just...liked it. I should have listened to her." You let go of Sans' hand so your could wring your own, thinking back to that day. That stupid, awful day.

"I was playing in the flowers. I remembered having seen people make crowns out of them on the surface and I wanted to try. I remember reaching for another flower and when I grabbed the stem it...giggled. It had been Flowey. I may have been a dumb kid but I wasn't _that_ dumb." You paused, then sighed, "Okay, I was, but, I was smart enough to try and get away from him originally. Then he started talking and he even..apologized." _Golly, ya know...I really am sorry about that whole 'kill or be killed' thing I did back then. It was dumb and...well, you're just a kid. And you're scared. huh? It's okay, I can tell, and I totally understand! I have a friend who was juuuuuust like you once. Wanna meet them?_ "I was a moron. a dumb, stupid moron. I stayed and I...I listened to him." Alphys had grown pale. She knew about that flower. She knew what he really was. And she knew you knew she knew. "Flowey said he wanted me to meet their friend." A child, just a little older than you. They looked...funny. Like they were made out of smoke. They had reddish brown hair, matching eyes, and rosie cheeks. They were the first human' child you had seen since you'd fallen. They made you feel safe. "Their friend was a child. They said their name was Chara, and they said they understood how scared I was." _Oh, I totally understand, (Y/N), you don't need to be embarrassed! It's bad enough the humans were mean to you, now you're trapped down here with these scary creatures who keep attacking you, and they just don't understand, not like I do. But you know..._ "Chara offered me help. Said they could protect me, keep me safe. I just needed to let them use my body. They even said that if they could talk to Asgore and Toriel, they could talk Asgore out of his whole collecting SOULS, war on humanity thing." _It would be best for everyone! Humans who fell, like you, would be safe, and I can make sure you're okay! Besides, mom adopted you, right? So that makes you, me, and Asriel siblings, and siblings ALWAYS protect each other._ "But they lied." You stared down at your hands. The air in the room was heavy, and all eyes were on you. "I let them use my body, and Chara...they...they...they used it, used ME to kill everyone. I guess somehow things RESET after I left and Frisk fell, but...something is wrong now." Taking a deep breath you lifted your head and looked up at Toriel. "Frisk isn't Frisk. Chara is in their body. I don't know what they're planning to do, but they have the ability to RESET, and they've already used it once to restart the week. You, at least, along with Sans and Papyrus, had already learned all this before they did it." "...Sh-She's telling the truth." Alphys spoke up for the first time since she arrived, meekly stepping out from behind Undyne. She was rubbing her hands up and down her face, clearly panicking. "Asgore had me make Flowey. He wanted to know if we could bring Asriel back. I had thought it was a failure when the flower vanished, but...I'm so...I'm such a...I'm sorry, (Y/N). I should have noticed something was up. I should have..." She removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose...snout. Toriel looked ready to burst into tears, Asgore had this confused, angry expression and Undyne didn't seem to know what to do at all.

You ran a hand down your face and yawned, unknowingly leaning against Sans. He smiled and kissed your cheek. "I think this is enough. You guys know what really went down that day. If you want to talk to (Y/N) again, come back tomorrow. Let's leave her to her grandparents and to get some sleep."

Everyone followed Sans' suggestion. Once the monsters were gone your grandparents nearly had heart attacks. It took another half an hour to calm them down, and they probably hadn't really been put at ease when they left. But you were just so, so tired. So much so you didn't notice someone enter the hospital room just as you dozed off.


	38. Baw baw black sheep, have you any soul

FILE: CHARA

SAVE?

You stared at this option with wide eyes. SAVE? Was this one of the ways Frisk and Chara could RESET? So...it was like a video game? You take a deep breath and place your hand over the SAVE option. For a moment the screen blinks out and then returns.

FILE: CHERRY BOMB

Works for you. With a smirk you walk out of the leaves and notice that your legs are cold. Glancing down you find yourself in a hospital gown. Huh, weren't you just in a dress? Weird, but that wasn't important. You needed to get out of here and find Toriel and Frisk. You ran through the rest of the RUINS, barefoot and frantic, until you reached the quaint little house. You didn't even have time to think, you slammed the door open and ran past the living room and kitchen and right down the stairs where you knew that, if Frisk was already fighting Toriel, that's where they would be. In front of the door. Just as you had assumed, there was Toriel blocking the door and there was Frisk, dust covering their clothes and a knife in hand. They raised it and you let out a scream, running towards them. It was like your blood had been replaced by red bull or something. This caught both the monster and the child off guard and gave you time to scoop Frisk up and wrench the knife from their hand. Toriel gasped, her hands over her mouth, while Frisk stared at you with wide, surprised eyes. You weren't supposed to happen. No other humans were supposed to be in the UNDERGROUND. "M-My child, when did you get here?!" "That doesn't matter right now!" You said, dodging Frisk's flailing arms as they tried to hit you. You dropped the knife with a clatter and then held the child down, holding their wrists. "Frisk, you need to-Frisk stop struggling-LOOK AT ME!" Frisk finally stopped struggling and stared at you. Then you heard it, an annoyed sigh. Glancing up you saw Chara standing over you, curling in the air like a cloud of smoke. However, they didn't seem to think you could see them. _"Just kill them stupid. No different than killing a monster."_ The look you gave them changed their mind quickly, though. The demon child gawked slightly when they realized you could see them. You turned your attention back to Frisk. "We are not doing this route, got it buddy?" You pulled them to their feet and kept a hold of them as you used your barefoot to carefully slide the knife away. "What is going on?" Toriel asked, stepping away from the door. This was your chance. Frisk and you both needed to finish this run, free everyone. And the less people who knew what was really going on, the better. Holding Frisk to you, you ran past Toriel and out the door, closing it behind you. You expected her to go after you, or at least say something, but there was nothing. _"Well, well, well, look who fell back down here like an idiot."_ You heard Chara snicker, and turned to see them floating on a few inched off the ground before you. _"Stupid, now Frisk is going to have to LOAD and start all over again. Are you jealous? Do you want to be the only person to ever kill all these stupid, weak monsters?"_

"They AREN'T stupid, or weak." You snapped at the ghost child, setting Frisk down again but keeping hold of their hand. "They're my family. And yours, and Frisk's. What I did was a mistake, and I'm not letting Frisk make it too." Speaking of RESETs...YOU could RESET. You could save the monsters that Frisk had killed...could you? Frisk had killed them before you SAVED. So..probably not. You mourned the loss of those Froggit's, your friends, but there most likely wasn't a way to bring them back. You just had to push ahead and make sure Frisk didn't kill anyone else. _"And you think you can get in our way? You really are just as weak and sad as you were when we first met, (Y/N). Frisk has already decided to kill all these idiots, and you won't change their mind."_ "I Won't have to. Frisk will do it themselves." You knelt down, ignoring the cold that was overcoming you. Ugh, snow and a hospital gown was not a good combo. "Frisk, look at me." They did hesitantly. "I KNOW you're a good kid. I know you love mom and everyone else, and I know you think because you can RESET that it doesn't matter if you kill them, because they won't remember. But Frisk, buddy, some monsters will." _Like Geno_. "And more importantly, YOU will remember. Trust me, honey, after I killed everyone it ate me up inside. I hated myself for years and years of my life. You don't need that. So please...let's just get everyone and go home." Frisk stared at you in silence and then tugged on your hand to begin walking. You hoped that meant they were listening to them and you followed, trembling hard from the cold. You both were silent as you made your way down the trail towards Snowden. You felt like you were forgetting something important, and then you reached that awkwardly made gate.

" L? D."

((You have successfully steered Frisk off Genocide, and Chara is none too happy about that. But how will things play out. Toriel didn't recognize you, so it's safe to say Sans won't.

Then again, you did just tell Frisk how you killed everyone. Alphys saw, that's for sure.))


	39. Spooky scary: Halloween special part 2

You jerked away from papyrus without thinking. His teeth smelt of something long dead and rotten, and alarm bells were going crazy in your head. He looked confused, but Papyrus could see the fear in your face and seemed to understand.

"...you can't be here, (Y/N)." He looked over at Flowey. "...you are going to take her to the barrier, yes? I...I am scared to help. Undyne is not how she had once been. She scares me, and she will hurt me if she catches me helping you, but..."

After a pause, the wind picked up, causing Papyrus' now tattered scarf to flutter in the wind. He struck a pose and for a moment he resembled the skeleton you had met years ago. "BUT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WHO HAS NEVER DOUBTED HIS FRIEND (Y/N) FOR A MOMENT, WILL NOT ALLOW HARM TO COME TO HER! I SHALL SNEAK YOU INTO UNDYNE'S PARTY AND YOU WILL GET HOME SAFE AND SOUND!" "...Thank you, Papyrus.." You whispered, still a little afraid of him. Papyrus grinned and chuckled. "No need to thank me, it is the least I can do! as Flowey said, you were a victim too! I can.." He trailed off for a moment. "...I can only imagine how scared you were. Someone else using your body to kill everyone you knew, and all you could do was watch...I wish..I wish I could do more. I wish that we could some how fix the damage done here, but we cannot. So, I will get you home." papyrus held a hand out to you. Hesitating, you took it and let him lead you into Snowden. It was relatively empty, probably because everyone was at or getting ready for Undyne's party. "Now, we must get you dressed in something more fitting! And also something to make you look less human." He eyed your costume. "That's...a good idea? Perhaps we can..hmm no..this is hard.." papyrus frowned, tapping his chin, then he snapped his fingers. "A robot! Like Mettaton! We'll make them think you're a robot, abandoned by humans, thrown into the dump!" "That..could actually work." papyrus laughed as you spoke. "Of course it will work! I, the great Papyrus, thought of it!" He opened the door to his home and looked inside. It seemed empty. "That lazybones! He's probably at Grillby's. Well, that's for the better. Let's go get you dressed up and then hurry off! The sooner you get out of here, the better!"

The transformation was easy enough. Because Papyrus had, at some point, become friend s with Mettaton, he had silver paint, 'In case he needed to help Mettaton fix his paint job" he explained to you. He got some tin foil from the kitchen and you guys applied it around places like your neck, wrists, and fingers. After that, all you had to do was get back in your beating heart bride costume and you were good to go. Adjusting your veil as you looked in the mirror, you felt tears prick at you eyes again. Papyrus noticed and tilted his head. "What's wrong?"

"..I wasn't alone."

Papyrus grew still, dread filling the air.

"I don't know how we got down here, but...my friend Justin and I..and then Undyne..she killed him."

Papyrus pulled you into a loose hug. He could tell you were still afraid of him. "I'm so sorry, (Y/N)...I'm sorry.."

What else could he say?

"Pap?" There was a knock on the door. Oh no. Sans. You could only imagine how Sans was down here. Thinking back to your run, to fighting Sans. That alone had been terrifying. Just trying to think of how Sans may be now made you feel faint. "Yes, I am coming Sans! I...was actually almost there when I passed through the dump and found a new friend! A robot that humans have thrown away!" he winked at you. 'And...since..you needed a...date for the dance, I decided she would go with us!" "Oh...really now." Sans so was not buying it, but papyrus didn't seem to pick up on that. He flung the door open to reveal his brother, and you gasped softly. His clothes were still the same, though his shirt was covered in blood. His left eye had turned blood red while the right eye was just hollow. He had a large hole in his skull now. He stared at you, studying you for a second, and then his red eye narrowed where his smile, teetering the edge of looking crazy, widened. "Well..hello robot girl." "...Cherry." You spoke softly. Your voice must have been shaking, because he laughed slightly. "Cherry, huh? If you're a robot, why are you dressed like a bride?" Oh crap. You had to think, and fast. 'i was made to...sing. This was for my show, but...I was a failure." His brow ridges raised slightly. "Oh?" "I cannot sing." Seeing Sans and his brother like this, it broke your heart and you struggled not to cry. Sans may have taken it as something else, perhaps your 'failure' making you cry, because his expression softened, just barely, but he still didn't trust you. That much was obvious. "..Alright. Papyrus, finish getting ready. We'll meet you down stairs."

You had a bad feeling, but followed Sans down. He motioned for you to sit on the couch, but you saw something shiny peeking out from under the cushions. You politely declined. Now Sans was glaring at you, and this went on for at least five good minutes of silence. You need to do something. You took a deep breath.

"Excuse me...Sans, was it? Did you by chance happen to sit in some sugar?"

This got him off guard. He turned, glancing at his back side, and then looked back at you when he saw it was relatively clean. "No, why?" You exhaled slowly, trying to keep your voice steady.

"Because, you have a rather sweet ass."

Sans' eyes widened slightly and he stared at you before he broke down, rocking with laughter. In that moment, he looked like the Sans you had known from your childhood. The Sans you had had a crush on.

The moment passes.

"Well yeah, but I bet you say that to all the charming skeletons you meet."

Here's the beating heart bride beatingheart

I love that scene so damn much. I'm enjoying horrortale a lot more than i thought I would (Just started reading the comics) and I may continue this plot outside the Halloween specials at some point.

And don't worry, the dancing will happen soon.

horrortale_date_with_sans_by_


	40. Admiration pains

" L? D."

Frisk and you both turned around, however it was you who took Sans' handing with your free one and giggled when there was a loud farting noise. He looked slightly surprised to see you, which made sense. You remembered that Sans had said he sometimes could remember the RESETS, and you? You were something new. You were something he wasn't prepared for. After a minute he blinked, chuckling. "Heheh...the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. It's ALWAYS funny." While you continued to giggle, Frisk didn't even flinch. Sans eyed you and then the child. "...that's, uh, your cue to laugh too." He chuckled, but you saw him eyeing the dust on their clothes. "Or, uh, to emote at all...?" Still Frisk did not react. Under his breath you hear Sans mumble, "Gee, lady, you really know how to pick 'em, huh..." Oh dear. Sans released your hand and shrugged. "Okay, that's fine. Everyone's got their own sense of humor. At least this one is laughin'." Sans thumbed at you and gave you a wink. This was so weird, like you were watching a childhood memory but you also...weren't. "I'm Sans. Sans the skeleton" "I-I'm..." Oh shoot, you couldn't just tell him your name! Sans would blast yo in a heartbeat. "I'm Cherry, and this is Frisk. It's nice to meet you." You gave him a smile and Sans was quiet for a moment, giving you a once over. You were shivering like crazy. "You're a human right?" He asked you directly. Not you and Frisk JUST you. "That's hilarious. I'm actually supposed to be on the watch for humans right now...but...ya know...I don't really care about capturing anybody. Now, My brother, Papyrus...He's a human-hunting FANATIC." You remembered this speech. He had used it when you two had first met 8 years ago, and back then you had reacted nearly exactly as Frisk was. You felt bad, especially because now that you were older you thought Sans' was the funniest person you had ever met. "Hey, actually, I think that's him over there. I have an idea, go through this gate thingy."

You blinked and glanced up at the gate and then back at Sans. His smile grew and he nodded. "Yeah, go right through. My bro made the bars to wide to stop anyone." You giggled again and nodded, pulling Frisk along as you went through the gate. You arrived outside Sans' station, which he told you to hide behind, which you did. He then told Frisk to hide behind that conveniently placed lamp, which they did not. Sans stared at them, his smile loosening. Uh, okay, I guess you don't have to." As he spoke, Papyrus walked over. "SANS! HAVE YOU FOUND A HUMAN YET?!" "yeah." Sans replied casually. Papyrus looked surprised and grinned. "Rreally?! Wowie!" Bless him. Bless him and his innocence. You were not going to let Frisk kill him. "Guess that's settled!" And Papyrus just...walked away. Sans chuckled slightly. "That worked out, huh?" "Um, yeah." You stepped out from behind the stand, your feet beginning to hurt from walking barefoot in the snow. Sans stared at you and then smiled, winking. "Hey, you look chilled to the _bone_." You giggled, covering your mouth. "Y-Yeah, you could say that." "Well, look...I couldn't let you say out here wearing nothing but that," He motioned to the hospital gown, "In good conscious. So, Cherry, I'm going to take you back to my place. As for you, kiddo." He turned to Frisk, who stared at him boredly. "Well, I'll be straight-forward with you. My brother'd really like to see a human...so, y'know, it'd really help me out...if you kept pretending to be one." Internally you were just screaming OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH, but it stopped when Sans took your hand in his smaller bony one and pulled you back in the direction of the RUINS. next thing you knew you were back in that black world with the flying binary, and then you were in a house. A nice, warm house. You let out a relieved sigh and hugged yourself. "Oh, thank goodness. Thanks Sans." "Not a problem, Cherry. That's a weird name, but eh, I don't know much about humans. But you sure didn't look like you were doing to well out there. Take a spot on the couch and I'll get you some blankets." You did as he said, silently wondering if Frisk would be okay out there alone. And if the monsters would be okay wit Frisk out there all alone. You wanted to stop them from killing everyone but...dressed like this you were no good in Snowden. Shit. "Catch." You suddenly had a blanket and a jacket thrown at your head. Pulling them off you looked to find it was the Jacket Sans had been wearing. He came downstairs wearing a different, fluffier jacket. You flushed and put the jacket on over your hospital gown. Sans stared, the fluff on his hood floofing a little. "Thanks Sans the skeleton. I was super freezing out there." "Not..a problem, Cherry. Weird name still, but eh." He shrugged and you giggled awkwardly, burrowing up under the blanket. "Uh, I guess? I mean, you're named after a font ya know." "I know, it's a skeleton thing." Really? Seeing your confusion Sans plopped onto the couch beside you. "Skeletons can see the font people speak in. So when we're born, our folks name us after our fonts." "That's...actually really cool. So you can see my words and what font they are?"

Sans was silent, staring not at you but above you, most likely at your words? After a moment he said, "Admiration pains. It's actually sorta pretty. Never seen it down here." "Huh, neat." Was all you could really say. "Anyway...after I warm up, I really need to get back to Frisk, I'm worried about them." However, you suddenly found yourself feeling pretty tired. Maybe it was from the cold...? "We'll talk about that after a nap, Admiration." Sans said, though his voice was fuzzy as you felt your eyes drooping.


	41. Pretty little liars shit

You awoke to something clattering to the floor loudly. Groaning you sat up, and accidentally headbutted whoever was standing above you. You rubbed your head and looked to see Justin. You stared at him for a second ad then leaned over the bed to see what he had dropped.

A knife, glinting as it caught the moonlight shining in through the window. Your blood grew cold.

"You...You're one of them."

Just stepped back, his eyes widen and his entire body trembling. "I..I can't. (Y/N) please, I never ever wanted to be involved in any of this." As he spoke, you thought back to Jasper and his words. _The last one doesn't even want to be involved. The last one will help you, if you can find them._ But how could you know that one was Justin...wait. He was just a Freshmen. He wasn't even in town when your friends died. So it only made sense... You scooted to the other side of the bed, wanting to put as much space between you and Justin as possible. He was small and thin, you could probably fight him off if you had to, so long as he didn't pick that knife back up. But before you could even consider that, "Justin, tell me what the hell is going on. NOW." Your hand covered over the call button, ready in case he tried anything. Justin backed away slightly, holding his hands up. "I-I can't! They'll kill us both!" "They were already planning to kill me, clearly, and you were the one who was going to do it. So if I'm going down, you're coming with me." You snapped, feeling the rage building up. "I thought you were my friend, dude! I thought we were close!" "W-We are!" Justin replied and was suddenly knocked to the ground when you leaned over and shoved him. "No we aren't! You planned to kill me, man! What the hell is that even about?" Justin sat up and winced, looks like he hurt his wrist when he fell. For a split second you felt back, but then remembered...fuck this guy. "(Y/N), please...I don't want to do this. I never did. But they threatened to totally ruin my future of I didn't. My band, my band mates..." "So what, your stupid band is more important that me?! _Your band is worth murder?!_ " You used to think Justin was cool and smart for his age. Clearly you had thought wrong. Justin looked away and got to his feet slowly. You reached back for the button. "Come near me and I'LL be the one ruining your future. There's cameras here, dummy. You didn't really think you could get away with this, did you? Why are you even here, and who's telling you to do this?"

"I don't know." Justin sat in one of the chairs against the wall. "I really don't. I got a text my third week into school, right after I met you, telling me if I didn't keep an eye on you then they would ruin everything for me. It wasn't from a number I know, and they never use the same number, they just sign their messages with an H." "That is some Pretty little liars shit right there." You frowned. H..there were a lot of H's at your school. The Hailey's, hazel, Hannah Jefferson in Mr. Frost's class. This wasn't useful at all. "Okay, so why did they send you tonight." "Well, the message." Justin replied. "At the school." Time to act dumb. "What message? Justin I've been in the hospital for two fucking days." Justin sighed, rolling his eyes slightly. "I know that. That's what I told them. They still think you're involved." "Involved in what?" Gotta keep up appearances. For now, at least, until you could, hopefully, get him to work with you. "Those deaths...your friends. It wasn't an accident. And somebody at school knows. They wrote this huge message in red on the old locker room. H is flipping their shit." Okay, yeah, you seriously felt like you were in an episode of pretty little liars. You straightened yourself and smoothed out your hair. You needed to be serious. Well, you were ALREADY serious, but now you needed to think. "Justin...you have seriously, and permanently broken my trust. Friends don't murder, or attempt to murder friends!" Ironic coming from you, but...but nothing. You had told them the truth. Now you needed to accept it. You hadn't killed your friends, your family. Chara had. You needed to get over this guilt, and focus on the problem at hand. "Justin, do you plan to finish the job?" Justin was silent for at least an entire minute before shaking his head. "...no. I never, ever wanted to hurt you." "Then help me fix this." You leaned off the bed and picked up the knife. At least he didn't have it, and if he did try to attack you still, you could defend yourself. "I've known for at least a week that they were murdered. I left that message, and if you were ever really my friend, then you're going to help me. Understand?" You looked him right in the eye, arms crossed, knife in hand. Justin sighed, nodding. "I understand." You relaxed, but just barely. "Good. Now, I'm going to call Natasha, Emilie, and Sans. You guys are going to make it look like you killed me, alright? Then tell them you ditched the knife. Sorry, but I don't trust you with this thing." "That's fair." Justin gave a weak chuckle, fidgeting with one of his dreadlocks. "And after?" "After, try and we find out who H is. I have a scientist friend who might be able to check those numbers...hell, Sans might even be able to do it." You grabbed your phone from the bedside table. Luckily, your grandmother had brought it for you. "We're putting an end to this." This wouldn't be able to salvage your friendship, most likely.

((One of you correctly guessed this, actually. Justin is the one who did not wish to be involved, and his reasoning for doing it are pretty weak, too. Def a good example of a kid willing to sacrifice too much for their dreams, even the lives of their friends.

We are SO close you guys.

One down, two to go.))


	42. Hey kids, wanna see a dead body

Sans had not been happy when he picked up the phone at 3 in the morning and you told him what was going on. In fact, you had to spend half an hour calming him down and convincing him not to just kill Justin when he arrived with Emilie and Natasha. Yeah, by the time you had finished, Justin had turned white as a ghost and you could just tell he was dreading Sans' arrival. "D-Does he HAVE to come, (Y/N)? He scares me.." "Well, should have thought of that before you tried to kill his girlfriend, huh?" Yeah, no, you probably weren't going to let that go any time soon...though thinking it over, how different was what he was going to do from what you and Chara had done?

 _You didn't intend to kill anyone._

You were startled when you heard Frisk in your mind.

 _He did. He had every intention of killing you. That's the difference. But...maybe some MERCY wouldn't hurt._

They had a point. Still, you were to angry at the moment and still felt you couldn't totally trust him, so MERCY would come later. You leaned back against the pillow, keeping the knife on the table closest to you and away from Justin. Suddenly Sans just...walked out from the other side of the curtain around your hospital bed, and with him were Natasha and Emilie, who had multiple plastic bags with them. The look Sans gave Justin when he noticed him sitting on the other side of the room told you you may have to calm him down again. However, he merely climbed into the bed, sat his butt down in your lap and gave you a kiss. Emilie and Natasha were giggling like school girls. It was a rather hard, angry kiss with a lot of pressure behind it, but hey, you weren't complaining. Once he pulled away he hopped back onto the ground. "We got the bed sheets, and the girls were able to make them look realistically bloody...organically bloody?" He shrugged and you giggled, climbing out of the bed and grabbing the knife. You saw Sans tense. He most likely didn't mean to, it was probably just a reflex. Still, seeing his eyes flicker between you and the knife in your hand, you decided to hand it to Natasha. "Alright, go American psycho on it." Natasha grinned and laid the 'bloody' sheets on the ground, then raised the knife and even made that noise from the movie, "REE, REE, REE!" She began shredding the sheet. As she did that, Emilie took out her makeup kit and got to work on you, making surprisingly good looking stab wounds with just normal makeup. The entire time Sans stayed by your side and glared at Justin. He wouldn't say anything now, but you knew he most likely would at school tomorrow, since you wouldn't be there to stop him. as Emilie applied the make up, Sans raked his fingers through your hair. Natasha had easily torn up the sheets, then she pulled a pillow out of one of the bags and began to shred that too. "Okay, so let me get this right, once this is done, we'll get a picture of you looking dead, and have Justin send it to the other two?" Natasha asked. "Yeah, that sounds about-" "I wasn't asking YOU." She cut the dread lock wearing boy off. "Once Nathan hears about this, you can kiss your friendship goodbye. Now, Cherry Bomb, is this the plan?" You nodded. "Yup, that's it. I don't think it'll be too hard. Crappy phone camera, fake blood, should work."

Once they were finished, Natasha wrapped you up in the sheet and had you sprawl onto the ground in your best death pose. Sans actually growled a little when he breathed. "Fake or not, I really don't like seeing ya like this.." "Don't worry, it's only for, like, another minute. Go turn off the lights for me, kay?" Still a little apprehensive, Sans did as you asked. Once they were off, Emilie took Justin's phone and took the picture. "Where do I send it?" "The 000 number." Justin said weakly from his seat. Nobody had let him participate, nobody had even let him near you. You sat up, untangling the sheet and peered over Emilie's shoulder as she sent the photo.

 **Justin: Here. It's done**

 **H: Good.**

((And with that, you are dead, as far as the other two culprits know. But what now? And why did they think you were involved in the message on the locker room? I mean, you WERE but how could they know that?))


	43. A SANSational start to the day

Sans didn't get any sleep that night.

That was a normal thing for him, since insomnia wasn't something monsters were immune to, but it was even worse now. Every time he closed his eyes he saw (Y/N) laying tangled in that sheet, bloody. Sure, it had been fake, but that was originally what that little freak had been sent to do to her. It made his blood, or magic, boil. Had (Y/N) not been there to stop him, Sans would have given that punk a rea e. Sighing he sat up on bed, his spine popping as he did. It was still another three hours before he needed to be up for school, but trying to sleep was pointless. He picked his phone up off the bedside table and began typing.

 **Sans: Pssssst, are you awake?**

 **(Y/N): You're supposed to ask 'Are you dead, or are you sleeping'. And yes, I'm awake. How could I sleep after that?**

Yeah, it may have been a human joke or something but that did not make him feel better. Still, he would keep that to himself.

 **Sans: Yeah, I can't sleep either. Not that I ever can, but still. This hasn't help.**

 **Sans: Can't I stay there with you? I don't like to think you're alone in that place.**

 **(Y/N): I really would feel better with you here, but I want you at school with Nat, Nate and Emilie. Nathan has been attacked too, at least in another timeline...oh my god I'm a damn idiot.**

Seems she noticed something. Sans took his phone with him as he got out of bed and began to walk across the room, making sure to go around the self sustaining tornado he had in there. He read over his girlfriends' messages as he pulled the door open, planning to head downstairs.

Heh, girlfriend...part of him still felt weird about it, like after what happened when she was a kid, just the thought of it should have been taboo. But Sans knew the truth about the whole ordeal, and he was going to force that part o him to get over. He loved (Y/N) and that was all there is to it. She was part of his family now.

 **(Y/N): It was Justin. He attacked Nathan.**

 **(Y/N): He's just the right size, could have gotten into the locker room unnoticed, and he was going to use a knife on me today..**

 **(Y/N): FUCK THAT GUY. Ugh, I'm so angry right now!**

Okay, yeah no. Sans may not be allowed to kill this guy, but he was going to make sure he got a hint. Justin was NEVER getting near (Y/N) or her friends after this was all over. Ever. When Sans got down stairs he saw Papyrus up and...cooking. No surprise, at least not for Sans. Papyrus was surprised, however, to see his older brother up already. "Sans! Wowie, good morning! You're just in time to eat breakfast, the most important meal of the day!" "Heh, yup. Sorry to surprise you, I didn't mean to... _rattle your bones._ " Papyrus groaned as Sans laughed, taking a seat at the table. Their annoying dog Toby was at his feet, waiting to take whatever food Sans didn't want to eat. This pup had a stomach of steel.

 **Sans: I understand sweetheart. Just try to get some sleep, okay?**

 **Sans: Love you.**

 **(Y/N): Kinda hard, but I'll try.**

 **(Y/N): Olive you too.**

 **(Y/N): OH! I ended up telling my grandparents what's going on. Sort of? They told principal Andrews it's for a sort of weird cultural project for college application.**

 **(Y/N): So he's telling the school I'm dead. Play along.**

Huh that was easy. Sans agreed and then set his phone down when Papyrus got to the table with spaghetti pancakes. Well, it certainly smelled good, at least. Papyrus noticed Sans' phone, which the shorter skeleton rarely used, and smiled. "Oh, are you talking to (Y/N)? I'm so glad! You two make a very cute couple! And...I'm glad to know it really wasn't her fault." He took his own seat. "But, why would the child of king Asgore and his clone do such a thing? Do they hate us?" "Maybe." Sans gave a lazy shrug, though he was thinking the same thing. From (Y/N)'s story Chara went out of their way to lie. Whatever, that didn't matter right now. "I told you about the stuff going on with her friends, right? The ghosts and all that?" Papyrus nodded, putting a pancake on Sans' plate. "Well...the principal is telling everyone (Y/N) has passed away. She hasn't, but she needs us to play along..."

((Toby ate all of Sans' pancakes.))


	44. A friendly warning

Sans and Papyrus arrived to school a little early as usual, and he went over to his locker, his hands shoved lazily in his jacket pockets. He wasn't too excited for the day, in fact he just wanted this whole ordeal to be over. To live a decently normal life with his brother, his friends, and his girlfriend. So the sooner they dealt with this shit show, the better. "Hey Sans..." He glanced up to see Nathan walking over. Besides dealing with this ghost and murder stuff, sans hadn't spoken to (Y/N)'s friends much, it felt a but awkward.

"Uh, hey there buddy." Sans gave a lazy smile and leaned against the lockers. Nathan was just a little taller than Papyrus, and if anyone else were in Sans' position, they may have been intimidated. "What's up?" "Not much, just...um...I feel we haven't properly introduced. So...I'm Nathan." He held his hand out and Sans grin widened. He pulled a hand from his pocket and used it to grasp Nathan's, a loud farting noise escaping from between them. Nathan's eyes widened while Sans laughed. "The old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. It's always funny, heh." "Oh!" Nathan snorted, covering his mouth as he laughed. "You got me good, hah! I can see where (Y/N) got her sense of humor, Comic Sans." Sans felt his face warm up just a little and he shrugged, returning his hand to his pocket. "Guess so. Anyway...thanks. For being there for (Y/N). It's a relief she has such good friends." "It's a relief you were willing to hear her out." Nathan replied, smiling slightly. Sans nodded silently and stared up at him. Nathan continued, "That whole thing...her SOUL shattering? That was because of the RESET. I think she was scared, scared you wouldn't believe her again...ya know?" "Yeah...Yeah I know.." Sans trailed off, thinking. Nathan was...nice. A real nice guy, with a good sense of humor and was good to his friends. Hell, if Sans hadn't come along, he could certainly see Nathan and (Y/N) possibly hooking up one day...and Justin had had the gall to attack him. Justin claimed he couldn't bear to attack (Y/N), but he had no issues doing it to Nathan? So what was it...was it because she woke up? Justin couldn't bear attacking someone who was aware it was happening, so he had to jump Nathan when the older boy wasn't aware? It made Sans' skin crawl, the little bastard. His expression must have showed it because Nathan's brow furrowed. "Hey, are you okay?" "...Sure buddy, sure. Just thinking about that little freak from last night." Speak of the devil, from the corner of his eye he saw Justin enter the hallway, talking with a smile to another boy with a similar fashion sense. Perfect timing. "Speaking of which, I'll catch you later. I got something to take care of." Sans waved goodbye to Nathan before walking towards Justin and his little friend, purposely catching Justin's attention. The kid turned white as a sheet.

Sans walked at a snail's pace and could just imagine Blooky cheering him on as if it were one of the races on his farm. He kept on his lazy demeanor, but there was an edge in his smile, a dangerous one. Justin tried to back away to run, but in a flash Sans was there, gripping his arm. "Hey buddy, I've been waitn' for ya. Let's go have a talk, I..wanna ask about some of your music covers." Before the freshman could argue or ask his friend for help Sans dragged him away, took one of his short cuts, and they were suddenly standing in a decently sized janitor's closet. Sans roughly shoved the kid against the wall and spoke, his eyes closed. "You...really are a dumb kid, huh?" His voice was lower than usual. Sans didn't think he'd spoken like this since the time he'd faced (Y/N) in the judgement hall. Man, his heart really had been broken back then. Now, he was going to break this kid's spirit. "S-Sans, dude, please..I wasn't going to do it, I couldn't-" "Ya sure about that?" Sans cut him off with a dark chuckle, his flesh dissolving, slowly this time to reveal the muscle underneath and then the bone. This was just a show, something to scare the kid, and it was working. " 'Cause buddy..pa...I got reason to believe that's a lie. In fact, I've been thinking that you might have killed _my_ (Y/N) had she not woken up. And Justin? For your sake, that better not be true." Justin pressed himself against the back wall, trying to get more space between him and the skeleton. A laugh rumbled in Sans' chest as he watched Justin's feeble attempt. "(Y/N) is my girl, kid. She's one of the two reasons I wake up in the morning, why I even CARE about life anymore. I love her, and you? You were tryin' to take that away." The boy looked like he was about to cry, hah! Now that was a joke. "So, here's a friendly warning, pal. Something to think about before you lay another hand on her or any of her friends."

Sans stepped forward until he was right in front of the teenager. Justin stared down at him with wide, teary eyes as he shook like a leaf.

"If you every do that again, you won't have a future to worry about. **e.** "


	45. You can't spell Frisk without RISK

"(Y/N)...(Y/N) wake up please?"

Your eyes fluttered open slowly and you grumbled, rubbing the sleep from them. Lifting your head you looked up to find yourself in the void, Frisk stuck in a little bone cage. You sat up quickly and grabbed the bones, trying to pull them out and free the child, but the damn things just wouldn't budge. 'It's okay." Frisk whispered, looking up at you with a smile. "Really. Are you okay? You're still in a hospital gown...and Sans' jacket?" Looking down you saw just that, the large blue jacket zipped up on you, keeping you warm. "Uh..yeah? I was just at his house in Snowden..but why am I back here?" "Because we need to talk about what's going on." With what little room they had in the cage, Frisk sat cross legged.

"Geno wants to destroy every timeline, or something like that." They kept their voice down as they talked, and you had to lean in to hear them. 'They don't trust me...you probably gathered that from your last visit here. Um..I know you can't remember much outside of falling back UNDERGROUND, but you remember being here, right?" After raking your brain you vaguely recalled coming to the void and meeting them and Geno, so you nodded. The child looked relieved. "Oh good. Listen...if Geno gets what he wants, then you, me, Papyrus? Everyone will die. He doesn't believe that this can be fixed, that I won't do genocide again. So he's going to destroy it all. That's why I've been having you help me." The child leaned forward a little, peering over your shoulder. You decided to look around too. Nothing else there but pitch black. "...Where's Geno?" "Talking to the other Sans, maybe? UI don't know...I got in trouble for talking to him, and now Geno has been really weird about him." They shrugged and relaxed yet again. You nodded, their words swimming in your head. Geno wanted to destroy everything, because...he didn't trust Frisk? Did he think it was the only thing that would stop all the murders? "How..am I helping you?" You asked finally. "And what am I helping you with?" "You're helping me just by being yourself, (Y/N)." Frisk replied. "I knew that if anyone would stop me from committing genocide, it was you. I'm sorry for not asking your permission first. I summoned your SOUL back to the UNDERGROUND, during my first genocide run. That's where Geno is from, and if you can stop me, I mean really stop me-" "Then Geno wouldn't be like he is." You finished their sentence and Frisk nodded. You bit your lip, looking around for Geno once again. "...He's going to be real mad if he finds out, Frisk." "You can't spell Frisk without risk." The kid chuckled, and so did you. Despite the threat of Geno, you needed to do this. Both of you. Everyone deserved a happy ending. "Alright...no problem kid, I'm in." You smiled down at them and then jumped when there was a flash. Geno had appeared a few feet away, and with Sans. Not the one thta had just helped you in Snowden. This Sans was different, but only a little. This new Sans looked over at you and Frisk and was there in a flash, most likely haven taken a short cut without really needing to. Geno wasn't even really looking, so..he probably hadn't noticed you yet.

"See?" Geno said, a bit of annoyance in his voice. 'Frisk is FINE. I didn't hurt 'em. Though they are in a serious time out. Weird, you're showing A LOT of concern for the kid who started this mess." The new Sans was silent, staring at Frisk, then he glanced at you. hesitant, you put your hands up to your lips. He seemed to care about Frisk, so maybe he could help too? The skeleton sighed and turned to Geno. "Geno, how do you know if that would work? If I brought Chara here, you can't restrain them if you leave-if you DIE." He shook his head, slowly walking over to his bloody doppelganger. Geno chuckled, still not looking in your direction. "Well, you can't die here, and to my general knowledge you can't heal either. I just have to hurt Chara so much they fall into a coma. No biggie." NO BIGGIE?! "NO BIGGIE?!" Sans said what you were thinking. "G-Geno!" "Don't try to take the moral high grown." Geno finally tuend around, and you tried to find any sort of shield to hide behind. You decided on Frisk's cage, which wouldn't work much since you were bigger than it. "I'm not a sadist. I'm trying to be as honest with you as possible. As direct as I can be. This is the ONLY way." Sans clearly did not agree, and he shook his head. "No it's NOT. We have Frisk. If we can figure out a way to get Chara out of the body-" "Why are you so defensive about Frisk." Geno interrupted him, bitter amusement in his tone. "They started it, **they killed Papyrus first**. Like I'd trust Frisk with that kind of power again!" Well, you couldn't exactly blame him for that. "They killed everyone! They let Chara have their body!" Geno was getting mad. Maybe it was best if you left. Still, Sans tried to plead with him. "But I can tell they regret it!"

"Are you insane?!" Geno finally snapped at his other self. "Who cares if they regret it, they still did it! ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO SWEEP THE HELL I'VE BEEN THROUGH UNDER THE RUG?!" By that logic, how could he have claimed to trust you the last time you were in the void with him and Frisk. You had regretted your actions but, just like Frisk you had still done it. You had still let Chara have your body. "That's not what I mean at all!" Sans frowned, getting concerned. "It's not perfect but it's better than ending our experience! There are too many holes! You don't know if this will work!" "You're trusting our murderer with the power to RESET! You have no idea if your plan will work!" You looked at Frisk, hoping they would send your back, however they looked to distracted and scared. "Ending our time line is everyone's only hope!" "No it's not! Papyrus would never be okay with what you're doing!" That was a mistake to say, even you knew that. Geno grew silent for a moment, and the air in the void became thick and tense, you felt it bogging you down like this power of dread. "How...dare you." There was a second flash of light and a row of bones and gaster blasters had appeared behind Geno. How dare you use Papyrus against me!" "SANS STOP!" You had had enough. You got to your feet and ran over, joining Sans at his side. Geno's eyes widened and he stared at you. Without even knowing who you were, or at least you guessed he didn't, Sans held an arm out in front of you. "W-Woah, alright..okay. I didn't mean it Geno." he began to try to calm Geno down. "We...we both lost Papyrus today. Emotions are high...We're on edge. Please. I don't want to be your enemy." Geno's stare flickered between you and Sans. He lowered his hand and the bones and blasters disappeared. "...Me neither. I...I'm sorry." He grinned, shrugging that typical lazy shrug. "I guess I just don't have very thick skin." Oh god dammit. Even behind you you could hear Frisk give a mildly annoyed snort. Sans laughed. "Hey, that's what I'm talking about, classic Geno right here! But Geno, you have to understand why I can't do this." Geno sighed and nodded. "I do understand, Sans. And you also have to see why I can't stop here. Why I have to move forward."

"I do." Sans chuckled and then thumbed at you. "And uh, real quick...who's this?" "I'm a...friend." You replied. Sans eyed the jacket you had on. it was the same as his. "From another timeline." "Frisk probably wanted to check on her...uh..how's your SOUL?" Geno asked, now feeling incredibly awkward. You shrugged. "It's, um, better? No more fractures or anything." Geno nodded, seeming content with your reply. Sans obviously wanted to be clued in more, but you didn't plan to tell him who you were, not in this tense atmosphere, and neither was Geno. Sans sighed, shrugging. "Alrighty then...I guess people would think I should try to stop you. But...there is no point, is there?" "...No. There's not.." You were going to stop him. You and Frisk. Sans shoved his hands in his pockets. "Okay. Do what you have to do. Send me back in. let me forget, and try again..." As Sans spoke, he pulled a tattered red scarf from the pocket of his hood. Papyrus' scarf. What was he talking about? I hope...maybe the next Sans will give you what you're looking for...So, good luck Geno." God, you were so fucking lost. Geno sighed and lifted his arm, fingers positioned to snap. However...his arm began to shake, her grin growing slack. Something was wrong. Finally he let his arm fall limp to his side. "I can't do this."

"I can't do this...Not again. God, not again."


	46. In which Geno totally loses it

"I can't do this. Not again...god, not again."

Your eyes widened as the air around Geno's head began to crackle and he began to glitch. You took a step towards him but Sans stopped you, his nonexistent brow furrowed. "Geno...?" "I can't do this again..." Geno groaned, clutching his head. Sans cautiously went over and reached a hand out to try and help steady his double. "Geno-hey, what's happening?!" This was a mistake. Geno grabbed Sans' hand and yanked him down so he was kneeling in front of Geno. "I get it now." You had never heard Geno, or even Sans, speak like that before. It was deep and sinister. Not even in the judgement hall had a Sans ever spoken like this. "The only reason you disagree with me...the only reason you push me away with every reset...is because you can't see what I see." Oh crap, that didn't sound good. You backed away and crouched down next to Frisk. "Okay, seriously? Who is that Sans and what's going on?!"

"Geno can't destroy the timelines on his own." Frisk finally whispered, clutching their bone cage so tightly their knuckles were turning white. 'He needs the help of another Sans, and this one..this one has the potential, if Geno can just get him to see things his way." How many Sans' were there? How many timelines? God, this was all too much. You kept your eyes on Geno as he continued to speak. "But this time? You brought his scarf. Just like I..'we' did, long ago." He reached up, gently touching the scarf he wore around his neck. With his other hand, he gripped Sans' own tightly. "I'm not going to let you go back and forget. No. I need you to see each reset for what they are. When you see every friend, every monster, live the same days over and over. When you see every situation repeat like a broken record. **And when you see him DIE, again and again, and you fall into despair.** Then you'll finally see. It is our only way to stop this awful cycle. And you;ll see for yourself why this timeline, all timelines, must end **forever."** Okay, no. You needed to put a stop to this. You stood, but Frisk reached through the cage and grabbed the back of your jacket, shaking their head. "H-He'll just get mad at you. He might hurt you..." You looked at them and then at Sans, who was struggling to get out of Geno's grasp, trying to reason with him, but Geno just wasn't listening. "Sorry Sans. I didn't want anyone to go through the hell I've seen...but what can I say? I guess we're just the type who has to learn everything **the hard way**." With that Geno snapped the fingers of his free hand. Sans' SOUL was pulled from his chest, shook violently, and then a piece crumbled. He let out a pained sound and staggered forward slightly. You pulled from Frisk's grasp and ran over, trying to help him stay on his feet. "Geno, what the hell?!" "Stay out of this (Y/N)!"

"(Y-Y/N)?"

Sans looked up at you with an expression that was both pained and confused. You nodded, trying to help him, but he was surprisingly heavy. Frisk called out from behind you. "What are you doing to Sans?! Geno, stop!" "Oh, now you care about what's happening to Sans?" Geno sounded amused, and the eye that was visible had turned a slight red. Unable to keep Sans standing, you gently lowered him to the ground and knelt down beside him as Geno continued to speak. "Heh. If you must know, I'm making him relive your **worst** resets. It'll be hard to defend you when he really sees your worst. And he'll see the worst you did to him. The worst you do to everyone. He'll have to agree." Sans was shaking. You scowled and stood, shoving Geno back, catching him off guard. "Geno, fucking stop it! Can't you see you're hurting him?!" Geno let out a slight growl as he caught his balance. " I'm telling you for the last time, (Y/N), stay out of the way!" With a snap f his fingers you came face to face with a gaster blaster. " **Or I will make you**." You stared wide eyed and backed away, the truth finally dawning on you. Geno was a Sans, but...you could faintly remember a short, blond boy. He was Sans. He was your Sans. Geno was not. "Heh.." Speaking of Sans', the one on the ground was beginning to pull himself up. Something about that laugh made your heart jolt slightly. "Is that...all you got?" He got into a crouching position, gripping his own red scarf tightly. That expression... "Because if you think a couple of bad timelines is going to get me to cave...hey buddy, you should really put some more _back bone_ into it." He winked.

He was your Sans.

Not totally. But some part of him was your Sans. Was it like this for all of them? No, you decided, some Sans' had to be different, or else Geno wouldn't have turned out like this. There had to be factors that decided which Sans would turn out like yours, and which like Geno.

Geno stared at Sans, and then scowled. "That's not funny." "Heh, I thought it was." Sans shrugged and got between you and the blaster. He eyed you up and down for a second, finally aware of who you were. Then he smiled and turned back to Geno. "Besides..make me live through any of your lives, any of those memories. Nothin' will make me help you destroy everyone I love. Nothin'. And...that includes (Y/N) behind me. Plus...come on, you must care about her, at least a little, right? You hate Frisk so much, yet she did it first. She killed us first. Yet you introduced her as a _friend_. Asked her if she was _okay_. Clearly I'm missing something here. She must have done something that made ya change your mind about her...so why can't you give Frisk that same chance?" Now Geno was glaring at you. You hugged yourself and looked away. "So either you make me forget, and you start all over again. Or? We try things my way." You glanced back over. These...Sans', they were worlds apart from one another. Both DETERMINED, but...differently. You thought back to what Alphys had told you a long time ago, with those melty monsters she had down in that secret lab after injecting them with DETERMINATION, they grew unstable. Is that what had happened to Geno? Yet here was Sans, determined as well yet he was fine. Geno stared at Sans and sighed, lifting his hand. "Sorry. Those...aren't our only options. See you again soon. Maybe...you just need more time." With a snap of his fingers Sans was gone. Geno then turned to you, the blaster vanishing. "...stay out of my way, (Y/N). I'm not going to tell you again. I get that the brat brought you back to see if you were okay. I had intended to do the same myself...and I had hoped you wouldn't see me like this." "Well I DID, Geno." You clenched your fists. "And Sans is right! There is more you can do than just destroy everything!" Geno just snapped his fingers again.

You woke up back in your hospital room. Scowling you sat up and clutched the sheets tightly.

︎✌︎ ︎ ︎ ✋︎ ︎ ❄︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ ? ﾸﾎ✡︎ ? ﾸﾎ ︎✋︎

 ***Wanting to save everyone from Geno, including Geno himself, fills you with DETERMINATION***

((( And boy howdy, are you DETERMINED.

You know Frisk's plan now. Stop Frisk from doing the first Genocide, the one that made Geno. With that, the timeline is reset, remade. And maybe, just maybe...

Chara won't have Frisk's body anymore. )))


	47. Can we be a family again

You were fine.

Sanchez was finally going to release you from the hospital, and at first you thought your grandparents would be coming to pick you up. However as it would turn out, your grandmother and Toriel had been talking, and Toriel would be taking you back to her home to talk to the others. Undyne, Grillby, Napstablook, Asgore...

Saying you were nervous was an understatement. After what had happened back in the void, well...this was sort of the last thing you needed right now. But it wasn't like you could reject it. You sat in the waiting area of the hospital, rubbing your temples. What were you going to say? Would they care? Alphys did, you knew that already. She had apologized for not figuring out everything with Chara and Flowey sooner. But Undyne? Most likely not. Asgore? Hell no.

This was such a bad idea. Then again, so was antagonizing a group of killers but hey! Let's keep going and see what happens!

"(Y/N)?"

You looked up. Toriel had arrived and it looked like she had gotten some of your clothes from your grandmother. Oh thank god. You smiled and took them, excusing yourself into the restroom to go change. No more itchy hospital gowns. After getting changed you stepped outside with Toriel in a nice white turtleneck sweater covered in bats, a velvet black vest, and a long black skirt. It felt good to be in your own clothes again. Toriel opened the passenger side door of her mom van for you, and you climbed inside. Once you were both buckled up, Toriel shifted the van into drive and started down the street.

"...H-How are you feeling, dear?" She asked after five minutes of silence. You gave an awkward shrug. '...tired? I didn't sleep a lot last night and when I did I had..um...a nightmare. And I'm nervous." "That's...understandable." Toriel nodded as she kept her eyes on the road. "But, dear...we're all nervous. About so many things. Revealing ourselves as monsters. Getting the same rights as everyone else..about you and Frisk and Chara. 9Y/N), there will always be things to be nervous about but, we have to hold faith that things will get better...just like you have been doing up until now, isn't that correct?" You blinked and looked up at your good mother who laughed softly. "(Y/N)...look at yourself. You've grown up to be a beautiful young woman who decided that living a life full of anger and hatred was not good. You bettered yourself, made good friends, got good grades...you have surrounded yourself with those who love and support you. You chose to have faith. So...continue to do that, and everything will be fine."

"...I love you mom."

"I love you too dear."

Toriel parked in front of that same large house as the last time, before the RESET. It was three, maybe four stories, painted a soft peach color with a dark roof. You could easily tell the beautiful flowers and shaped bushed in the front yard were Asgore's handiwork. You climbed out of the car and followed Toriel inside, keeping close to her. Everyone was already in the living room waiting for you, including Chara who seemed to have no idea what was going on. Until they say you. Then the little brat grinned and you knew they were planning to do the exact same thing they had before. Chara, still in Frisk's body, got to their feet and ran over to you, acting all cute as they made grabby hands. You stared down at them and then smiled, picking the child up. Once in your arms Chara leaned in and whispered into your ear. "You're going to regret coming back here." "Am?" You whispered back before sitting down besides Toriel on a small loveseat, Chara sitting comfortably in your lap. Everyone was there. Bratty and Catty, Burgerpants, the Nicecream guy...everyone. You were growing nervous again, but you pushed the feeling aside and gave a smile and a wave. Bratty and Catty being, well, themselves, waved back, and Burgerpants gave you a wink. Undyne was sitting next to Alphys and glared at you until his tiny yellow girlfriend gave her a nudge. Undyne sighed and stood, crossing her arms. "Look punk...Alphys explained it all to us. And while I don't totally understand what's going on, and I'm still super mad...I guess I have to accept... _we_ have to accept that it wasn't your fault." Hold up now, Chara did not like the sound of that. You smirked, moving yourself slightly to get more comfortable. "...Thank you Undyne. I really am sorry for what happened. I know mom and Sans keep saying it wasn't really my fault, but-"

Asgore held up a hand, silencing you. He was standing near the fire place, greater dog and lesser dog standing beside him, with doggo sitting on the floor smoking a dog treat.

"(Y/N)...if what I have lead to believe is in fact the truth...then don't apologize. Please."

As he spoke, Chara wiggled out of your grip and began to go to the corner of the room, where the toys were. You knew what they planned to do.

 _Go ahead, kid._ You thought.

 _It's not gonna happen._

"Alright...thank you Asgore."

"...You may...you may call me King fluffybuns, if you would like. Or even..dad."

That actually caught you off guard. You stared at him with wide eyes, while Asgore stared at you in return with a gentle, if not uneasy expression. He really was putting in effort. You wouldn't let it go to waste. Chara was digging through their toys until they found that save glitter thing.

"I would like that, dad."

The pressed on it, and let out an audible gasp.

 **File: Cherry bomb**

((( AND THE FAMILY IS BACK TOGETHER.

And Chara got a rude surprise. Look at that smug ass face. )))


	48. I'm sorry

Sans strolled out of the closet, leaving a shaking and silently crying Justin behind. Wimp. He had about ten minutes to get to class, biology, and Sans casually made his way down the hall and gave Emilie a nod as she waited for him outside their class.

"The announcement will be in a few minutes, and that girl who bullies Cherry Bomb is in here. I'm gonna try and record her reaction, I bet Cherry Bomb is gonna get a kick out of it." "Heh, I bet." Sans chuckled and they entered the classroom, taking a seat in the back. Other students came pouring in and he kept his eye on them, wondering which one was a threat to his girlfriend's life. Tammy took her seat in the back, a few chairs away from Sans and Emilie. Emilie snickered slightly and Sans leaned back in his chair as the speakers crackled to life.

"Good morning Addison high students and faculty." Principal Andrews greeted, his tone somber. The man could be an actor, it looked like. "I'm afraid I have some bad news. It's difficult to say this, but... (Y/N) (L/N), who had been in the hospital has died."

The classroom grew still and silent. Emilie had her phone peeking out from under her arm, pointed at Tammy.

"(Y/N) was...murdered. There isn't any leads at the moment, so if you know something, please come to the office and tell me." Andrews took a shaky breath. "This is...a dark day for us here at Addison high school. We have lost a bright light among our student body. (Y/N) was a shining example of what could be done if someone just tried. We will always remember her. There will be an assembly tomorrow morning. If you would like to say anything during it, please contact your homeroom teachers."

Sans heard sniffling and glanced over to see Tammy of all people CRYING. Her hands were over her moth as tears welled up in her eyes. Emilie was staring, wide eyed and when Tammy noticed she tried her hardest to glare and opened her mouth, most likely wanted to make some rude remark. But she couldn't. The only thing she could manage was, "I'm sorry...I'm sorry.." Before she shot from her seat and ran from the classroom, sobbing. Emilie blinked in confusion, shutting off her phone. "That..wasn't what I had expected." "No joke."

The voice caught the two off guard and Sans turned to see a pretty teenage girl standing between his and Emilie's desks, looking at the door Tammy had ran through. Sans raised a brow. 'Uh...and you are?" "Anna."

(( ANNA FOUND!

One more ghost to go.

And look at that, Tammy has a heart. Too bad it took the reader faking their own death to get it out. ))


	49. Anna

"...How the hell had I not noticed you were a ghost earlier."

Anna giggled and shrugged. "If you are who I think you are, then I suppose it is because you are not accustomed to seeing ghosts of humans, _skeleton mann._ " Sans blinked and chuckled, shrugging as well. "That makes sense. So you're Anna, yeah?" "Cherry Bomb's friend." Emilie whispered breathlessly. "We've been looking for you!" Anna nodded, sitting on Sans' desk. "I am aware, _Neues Mädchen_ . Cherry is getting close to the truth. I will do what I can to help." That was a relief. The sooner they got this over with, the better. "Alright, what can you tell us?"

"The fight, it was the catalyst for our deaths." Anna crossed her arms. Yeah, from what (Y/N) had said, Morgan had told them the same thing before Chara had RESET. Emile leaned her head on her hands, making sure to keep quiet as she spoke, not wanting to draw attention. "How? Can you tell us? We know there are some things you can't." "What Cherry Bomb said...it had gotten us thinking. We realized she was right." Anna then bit her lip, looking down and mumbled, " _Was wir falsch gemacht haben. Wir waren nicht besser als die Tyrannen._ " "What?" Sans asked, not understanding what she had said. Anna shook her head. "We had become bullies, just as she had said." That seemed to be the consensus among the ghost kids, that they had been wrong. At least they had learns their mistake, even if it wasn't until they were dead to admit it. "We were going to go back and apologize to Cherry Bomb, ask her to forgive us. But..' "The fire." Sans finished her sentence. "The doors wouldn't open, you couldn't get out." Anna nodded, tears welling in her eyes. " _Ja. Ja_ , that is exactly what happened. I was so scared. We all were. But when i realized I wasn't getting out, that I was going to die..all I could think of was the last time I had seen Cherry. How I had stood aside and done nothing while Kent hit her. _Dieser Bastard_! I am a terrible, terrible friend." Emilie reached out to touch her arm, but her hand merely went through. Awkwardly she pulled it back. "That's not true..Cherry would tell you that herself if she were here." "The kid's right. She even told the other guy, Jasper, how you guys need to stop feeling bad over what happened. She forgives you, and she's sorry for what she had said." Anna stifled a sob, covering her mouth. " _Segne sie. Segne sie_. She is too good a friend for us. She had every right to say what she did. She took a deep breath, pressing her hand to her chest as she tried to compose herself. Sans got the feeling Anna hadn't been one to let her emotions get the best of her while living. "...You only have one of us left."

Wait, what?

"Hold on." Emilie shook her head, furrowing her brow. "There's..there's two of you. Brittany and Kent." " _Nein, nur einer_." Anna shook her head, wiping the tears from her face. "Only one." Her voice shook as she spoke, and seemed to be going in and out, as if carried by the wind. 'One of us was not in the locker room during the fire. One of us is still alive."

Holy shit.

Sans struggled to keep his voice down.

"Who? Who is it?!"

"I cannot tell you."

(( Skeleton Mann= Skeleton man

 _Neues Mädchen_ = new girl

 _Was wir falsch gemacht haben. Wir waren nicht besser als die Tyrannen_ = We were wrong. We had become the bullies.

Ja= Yes

 _Dieser Bastard_ = That bastard

 _Segne sie_ = Bless her

 _Nein, nur einer_ = No. Only one

So, short chapter but a big reveal! There's only one ghost left, and one of your old friends is alive. But who? What's going on, and how will this all end? You'll find out very soon! ))


	50. You didn't do a violence!

Yo woke feeling warm and content, but was jarred when you opened your eyes t find yourself in the skeleton's home, surrounded by nothing but complete silence.

Frisk!

You shot off the couch, ignoring the fact that you were no longer in a hospital gown but the clothes Toriel had brought you back in your timeline. Yes, you remembered it all now, and you knew why you were here. You needed to go find Frisk! What if they and Chara had already killed Papyrus? You opened the door, hurrying outside. The town was evacuated, and there were fresh prints in the snow. The kid must not have gotten far. You ran as fast as you could, looking around frantically until you saw Frisk, covered in even more dust than before, walking towards Papyrus. Oh no.

OH NO.

"Frisk!" You called out to them, but they didn't stop walking until papyrus shouted, "HALT HUMAN!"

Oh god. This was all to familiar. You thought back to your genocide run. Frisk only paused for a moment, but then took another step forward.

 ***If you take another step forward, you are REALLY not gonna like what happens next.***

You needed to stop this. But how? Clearly it didn't count as stopping the run if you forced Frisk to let someone live. Sans still treated them like they were on genocide. You needed to convince them to abort it on their own. But how?

"Hey, quit moving while I'm talking to you!" Papyrus put his hands on his hip bones, scowling slightly and tapping his foot. "I, the great Papyrus, have something to say! First: You're a freaking weirdo!" Yeah, you remembered this. Word for word. "Not only do you not like puzzles, but the way you shamble about from place to place...the way your hands are covered in dusty powder." Papyrus took a deep breath. It was obvious he was actually kind of scared. " It feels...like your life is going down a dangerous path. However! I, the great Papyrus, see potential within you! Everyone can be a great person if they try!" Those words made your heart ache. He was right. If only Frisk could see that. "And me, I hardly have to try at all!" The tall skeleton continued. '"Nyeh heh heh heh heh heh!" Frisk continued to walk forward. You searched around frantically for something, anything. You had a feeling that tackling them wasn't gonna work this time. Papyrus stomped his feet. "Hey, quit moving! This is exactly what I'm talking about! Human! I think you are in need of violence! Someone needs to keep you on the straight and narrow! but worry not! I, papyrus...will gladly be your friend and tutor! I will turn your life around!" Please Frisk...listen to him. Frisk continued to come closer. Papyrus lifted his brow ridges. "I see you are approaching. Are you offering a hug of acceptance?" Please. Please. "Wowie! My lessons are already working!" He held his arms out to the child. "I, Papyrus, welcome you with open arms!"

 ***Papyrus is sparing Frisk***

Frisk stared at him with their typical blank expression, clutching the knife in their hand. They then looked down at the options before them.

FIGHT.

ACT.

MERCY.

You stepped forward. You had to-

 ***Frisk spared Papyrus***

"Wowie! You did it!" Papyrus scooped the child up as they dropped their knife. "You didn't do a violence! To be honest, I was a little afraid...but you're already becoming a great person! I'm so proud I could cry!"

"(Y/N)."

You looked over to see Sans standing beside you, slightly surprised when he saw the tears streaming down your face. He looked at you, then to the scene before him. "...ow long have you known?" You asked, wiping the tears from your face. oh god, you were so happy. "Since you got down here. Like any other species, humans font never change. And you're the only person who I ever met who had Admiration Pains. Look.." He trailed off for a moment, watching Papyrus cheer on Frisk. You could see Chara just throwing a tantrum as they slowly faded away, losing the power they were draining from Frisk. "I dunno what you did, or why you saved us after that you did before. But thank you."

You felt tingly. Glancing down at your hands you saw that you were shimmering..almost glowing. Sans' eyes widened, he almost looked scared.

"Y/N), what's going on?"

You looked up at him and smiled. "I'm going home. You guys don't need me anymore. Tell Papyrus...thank you. Thank you for believing in me."

((

The Frisk arc is over. Something you did, maybe telling Frisk of your regrets, made them rethink their current path, and in the end they couldn't kill Papyrus. Now, they can reset, and free everyone, for good this time. Now Chara no longer has control control of their body. That's one problem out of the way.

Back to murder. ))


	51. Return of the goop father

You woke up to weight on your chest. Eyes slowly opening you found Chara sitting on you, a neutral expression on their face.

Wait, no.

Not Chara.

"Frisk...?" You yawned, still tired. They smiled, giggling, and nodded. "Yeah...thanks, (Y/N)." They slid off your chest and sat on the edge of the bed, swinging their legs. "You did it. You stopped me and Chara." 'No, I just made you think." You sat up, smiling, and ruffled their hair. "You made the choice yourself, to not hurt anyone else and fix things. I'm super proud of you." They smiled and then scratched the back of their head. "..Geno is probably mad. He wasn't rally 'there' when I left. I wish there was a way to free him." Yah, you did too. You sighed and ran your fingers through their hair. "I know, me too baby child, me too. But all we can do is focus on the here and now. Does Sans know you're back?" "Yeah." Frisk nodded. "He wanted to wake you up earlier, said they found one of your friends, but mom told him to let you sleep. Everyone has been really tense." You heard a snort near the bed and looked over to find Flowey sitting in a pot on the night stand. 'Well duh, people are bound to be uncomfortable when someone who they thought was a murderer is in their home." You rolled your eyes and leaned over, snatching him off the stand and setting him on your lap. "Sup brobro." The flower grunted in annoyance. "Don't call me that. I am not your brother." 'You're Asriel, whether you like it or not. That makes you the son of Toriel and Asgore, who are my...OUR parents too." You motioned to Frisk and yourself. "So yes, you are our brother." Flowey scowled but you could tell, he knew you were right. "Wh-Whatever, Are you done with this lovey dovey crap? You passed out about an hour after you got here and missed dinner. I don't wanna hear you complaining that you're hungry."

"Yeah, yeah, okay."

You smiled and moved out from under the blankets, carrying Flowey as you headed to the kitchen where you saw your phone on the counter. You weren't sure how it got there, but whatever. You grabbed it and went over to the fridge, pulling the door open. A plate had been left with a note for you.

 _"My child,_

 _You must have been so tired from the last few days, you fell asleep with Chara on your lap._

 _I couldn't bear to wake you up, so here is your dinner, I do hope you like it._

 _I am so happy to have you home._

 _I love you and I am proud of you._

 _-Mom"_

You hummed, taking the plate out of the fridge and set it on the counter, removing the foil. It was a minute steak with potato wedges and broccoli. Oooh, yummy.

"Know, knock."

Oh.

You giggled, glancing over your shoulder. Sans stood in the kitchen doorway with Frisk, wearing just pajama pants. Oh god, you felt your face heat up. He needed to put a shirt on!

"Who's there?"

"Ben."

You giggled, rolling your eyes.

"Ben who?"

'Ben over and give me a kiss."

Frisk was giggling madly as you stared down at your tiny, currently skeleton boyfriend, who had the smuggest little grin on his face. He rocked on his heels, waiting, and with a red face you bent down and pressed your lips against his teeth. Sans hummed in approval and then bumped his teeth against your forehead. "Good morning, or rather evening, sleeping beauty. Looks like everything is finally cool around the house." "Seems like it. Ketchup?" You asked, returning to the fridge to pull out a bottle for him. Sans chuckled, leaning against the kitchen doorway. 'You _ketchup_ fast." Frisk groaned and you giggled, turning around and tossing him the bottle. Sans held out his hand, which you took with your free one, and carried your reheated dinner into the living room, where you and him sat, Frisk sprawling out across your laps. Sans flipped on the TV and wrapped an arm around you, happily sipping at his condiment. You chowed down, remembering just how good mom's cooking was. As the three of you sat in silence, enjoying whatever bad late night television show was on, you could have sworn you heard something.

 _"? ﾸﾎ✡︎_ _? ﾸﾎ_ _? ﾸﾎ ︎ ︎_ _. ? ﾸﾎ_ _? ﾸﾎ ︎ ✡︎ ︎_ _? ﾸﾎ ︎_ _? ﾸﾎ✌︎ ︎_ _? ﾸﾎ ︎✍︎_ _"_

You blinked, glancing around. Nobody was there. "Sans...do you hear something?" "No?" He began looking around too before shrugging and returning to the show.

 _"? ﾸﾎ✌︎_ _? ﾸﾎ ✡︎ ︎_ _? ﾸﾎ_ _? ﾸﾎ ︎_ _? ﾸﾎ ︎_ _? ﾸﾎ_ _? ﾸﾎ_ _? ﾸﾎ✡︎_ _? ﾸﾎ ︎✆︎✍︎_ _? ﾸﾎ ︎_ _? ﾸﾎ_ _? ﾸﾎ_ _? ﾸﾎ ︎_ _..."_

Sans heard that. You could tell. He was sweating a little, and there was a soft blue light flickered from his left eye. "Sans...are you okay?"

 _"? ﾸﾎ_ _? ﾸﾎ ︎_ _? ﾸﾎ✍︎ ✡︎_ _? ﾸﾎ_ _? ﾸﾎ ✌︎ ︎_ _? ﾸﾎ_ _? ﾸﾎ✌︎_ _? ﾸﾎ_ _? ﾸﾎ✋︎ ︎_ _? ﾸﾎ_ _? ﾸﾎ_ _? ﾸﾎ_ _? ﾸﾎ ︎ ︎_ _? ﾸﾎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎_ _? ﾸﾎ_ _..."_

Sans slowly turned around, eye completely glowing, and stared at something behind the couch.

"Hi concerned, I'm Sans.'

He lifted his hand, something slammed against the ceiling, then crashed to the floor. You and Frisk peeked over the back of the couch. A monster laid on the floor, groaning. He was a skeleton, wearing a long black coat and white turtle neck.

"...Gaster?"


	52. I have made a terrible mistake

Well, this was awkward. This man, Gaster, Sans' father, was very much so the imaginary friend you had as a child.

You and Frisk watched awkwardly as Sans helped the old monster up. Gaster seemed just as confused and disoriented as you were. "Sans? Who's he?" Frisk asked as the two of you got off the couch so Gaster could lay down. "This, kiddo, is my dad. He sort of fell into the core like a dingus and got erased from existence. I guess maybe you breaking the barrier did something to make him a bit more...corporeal." Sans shrugged. "And I guess I just...yanked him back into existence? I didn't actually think it would work.."

You giggled and glanced over as your phone's screen lit up. It was a message from Justin.

Ugh.

Not wanting to interrupt the family reunion, you picked up your phone and went into the kitchen.

 **Justin: I'm outside. I know think I can tell you who one of the killers is.**

Well, maybe he wasn't totally useless. Figuring it was no big deal you went to the front door and peeked outside. Justin was sitting on the front porch, waiting. You opened the door and stepped outside, shivering as the cold air touched you. "Okay, I guess this is your chance for redemption. Who is it?" No answer. "...Justin?" You slowly walked closer. He was leaning back on his elbows, legs crossed. "Dude.." You touched his shoulder.

His head lulled to the side.

His throat had been slit.

You gasped, backing away and turned to scream.

There was a sudden sharp pain in the back of your head.

You felt yourself pitching forward and winced as you hit the ground, struggling to stay awake as the world went black.

"Well, well, well. Look who the cat dragged in." You stirred at the voice, slowly coming to. You wear laying in something wet, at least your head was. You slowly opened your eyes and sat up. Blood. You were laying in blood. Giggling caught your attention and you looked around. Pure darkness, and Chara, standing over you. "Is this...is this the void?" "No." Chara rocked on their heels, their smile growing wide. You had a sinking feeling in your chest. "Am I dead?"

"Not yet."

((Welp.

Justin is dead.))


	53. A little help from my friends

"Not yet."

Chara began to laugh at the look on your face, clutching their stomach as they did. "Oh, this is priceless, absolutely priceless!" They laughed so hard they began to float in the air, or..darkness? You pushed yourself off the ground and instantly regretted it as you grew dizzy. Too much blood loss. Still, you forced your way through it. "If I'm not dead yet...then I'm not going to die. I refuse to die." "Oh, and how are you going to do that?" Chara sneered, leaning forward, getting in your face.

You had been angry before. Oh lord, you've been angry.

But the rage burning through your chest right now was like something you have never felt before. You were shaking, tears were stinging your eyes and you just wanted to scream. You clenched your fists and then raised your hand. Chara's eyes widened slightly and a crack echoed through the darkness. You were the one standing over them now as they held their cheek, tears stinging their eyes. 'You-You...HOW DARE-"

"You are just a child."

Your voice was a lot more calm then it should have been. Your head was pounding with pain and honestly, you should have been wailing on this demon brat. But you didn't, because, "You're a child...a selfish, awful child who only ever thought of themselves." Chara growled at your accusation and lunged at you. You reached out and gripped them by the back of their shirt. "You were mistreated on the surface, weren't you?" The struggling stopped. You had hit a nerve. "You had been mistreated, and you ran away. And like me you didn't trust the monsters that had found you...but unlike me, you tricked them into believing you did. And when you saw they wanted to use you as a way to make peace with the humans, who you hated so much, you decided you just couldn't have that. First you tried to poison Asgore...dad. And when that didn't work you came up with the other plan. The one where you killed yourself and took over Asriel...you're disgusting." Frisk, were they there, probably would have been kinder. They would have tried to understand Chara more, perhaps change their mind. You were not Frisk. You were (Y/N), and you had no PATIENCE for the child that forced you to hurt those who had only wanted to care for you. You dropped Chara, hands on your hips.

"You don't scare me anymore."

"I am So proud of you."

You winced as a flash of light momentarily blinded you. Shielding your eyes, you squinted and saw a figure start to approach. When the light faded you saw it was none other than Brittany. She smiled widely at you. "It's about time you totally accepted that what happened was _their_ fault, not yours...it's good to see you again, Cherry Bomb." You smiled back at her, rubbing your eyes since the light left spots in your vision. "Yeah..same. But...how are you here? Aren't I unconscious?" "Yeah, and half dead. So you're kind of tethering between both sides right now. Plus, you've been taken to where I'm trapped. The locker room." Wait, the locker room? "But before the RESET, Emilie didn't see anyone in there?" "Just because she didn't see me didn't mean I wasn't there. But that doesn't matter. We need to get you to wake up." Chara snorted from their spot on the ground. "How? There's no way this idiot is going to live, not after losing that much blood." "Shut it, twerp, or I'll beat you up." You threatened and someone laughed.

"Hell yeah, fuck pacifism!"

Morgan!

One by one your friends materialized. Morgan, Dawn, Anna, and Jasper. The rage you had felt was replaced by joy to see all of your old friends together again. They looked just as happy. "What are you guys doing here?! I'm totally freaking out-but in a good way!" Jasper chuckled, pushing up his glasses. He walked over to you and Brittany, holding his sisters hand. They must have missed each other so much. "We're here to help, of course. I mean...we want you to be with us. We want the gang back together. But not yet...you still have a whole life to live." "Ja." Anna nodded. Sans must have been the one to find her, with Emilie. "So, let us do what we can."

Dawn practically tackled you, tears streaming down her face, but she was smiling.

"We're going to give you our strength."

You slowly lifted your head, silently screaming in pain. Opening your eyes, you found yourself in the old, burnt locker room. The man in the skeleton mask was standing over you. "About time you woke-" "Shut up, Kent." You spat. He seemed taken aback, but a second person, just out of your view giggled. "Well, looks like you put it together~"

The voice...

Hazel.


	54. It all comes together

"...Hazel?"

You moved your head to look around and winced. Yup, still hurt. You were in the burnt locker room, tied to some sort of chair. The masked man, who you now knew was Kent, pulled the mask off to reveal blond hair and brown eyes. He had grown to be muscular, and you would have found him attractive if you didn't want to kill him with your bare hands. He gripped the side of the chair and turned it around so you were facing Hazel. Her red hair was tied in a neat bun, and she wore a black dress, as if she were going to a funeral. You began to squirm. "Hazel..Hazel, what the hell? Is Kent making you do this? I thought we were friends?"

"well, so did _I,_ but you just had to keep betraying me."

Wait, what? Kent sighed and sat down beside Hazel, who draped her arms around his neck. "You just kept trying to steal by fallen angel from me." Your draw dropped, and Hazel began to giggle. Kent looked...extremely uncomfortable. "Silly (Y/N), you don't get it, do you? You never think about how anyone else might feel, you only think about yourself! That's what happened when you let that kid kill all those poor monsters, and thanks to that stunt you pulled at the hospital Justin is dead." "No..no YOU killed Justin." You spat, clenching your fists. Hazel waved it off. "You made me move my hand. "Had you just let him kill you none of this would have happened! And everyone would have been happier. I mean, those new kids are the monsters, right? I found out about that short, fat skeleton threatening Justin. He may _think_ he loves you, but he and all the others would be happier with you dead. Even you have to admit that." No. No, no, no. Fuck her. You needed to get out of here, which meant you needed to keep Hazel talking until Sans finds you. And he would find you. He had to. "Hazel..I don't understand! Did you kill the others too? Why?" "There you go again, not listening or caring for anyone else." Hazel's eyes narrowed at you. "You kept trying to steal Kent from me. First when you all became friends, and you kept coming onto him!" Okay, that was true. You had had a huge crush on him the first few months you became his friend. "But Kent was single back then." "So? He just didn't know that he and I were meant to be together."

Holy shit.

This bitch was cray.

"You kept getting between us! So I came up with a plan to get you out of the way-but then, the fight happened, and you left. I was SO happy, (Y/N)! See, I had always liked you, I just knew we could be great friends if you would just leave my angel alone. And you did! And we became friends! But then those idiots had to get in the way too." Your friends. Dawn and the others. You wanted to slap her for insulting them, but no. You had to keep her going. "...what did they do?"

"They turned on my fallen angel! They were going to go to Andrews and tell him everything! They would have been expelled, my angel along with them! I couldn't have that! I refuse to let anyone take him from me!"

Sweet baby Jesus.

Kent ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "...It was just a prank." He spoke slowly, glancing over at Hazel, as if he were afraid of her. Honestly, he might be, and you couldn't blame him. "I knew Hazel worked with robotics and junk. She was just supposed to lock them in overnight." The fire in the bathroom. The supposed wire difficulties. It had been Hazel. "Let them think over their choices. I mean, just Morgan alone, he could never be a vet if he got expelled. They just needed time to think." "Wishful thinking. My fallen angel is always trying to hard to see the best in people." Hazel stroked his chest. You wanted to gag. "But I knew better. Those losers wanted to go back to you, their oh-so morally superior and admirable leader. So, I took things into my own hands." Hazel stood, going to one of the old lockers. When she opened it bits of ash went into the air. Reaching inside, she pulled out gasoline. "I locked them inside, just like Kent asked." As she spoke, she walked around the locker room, pouring the gasoline. "And then I went to the gas station, bought some gas, and came back. It was so easy. Stupidly so, actually, nobody noticed as I took some water bottles full of the gasoline and made a trail from the locker room to the bonfire. And thanks to everyone else screaming, nobody heard the idiots stuck in here. It was a perfect plan." "Fuck you!" You finally snapped. Hazel sat back down and laughed. "See, that's why you're in this situation, (Y/N). You cared about them too much. I had hoped after that fight you would be a little more..understanding. But you just couldn't let the dead stay dead, could you!?" Behind her, shadows took form. They had no physical features, but from their shapes you knew what they were. Your friends. "...No, Hazel. It's the dead who couldn't stay dead. I know what you and Kent did. Emilie wasn't the first who could see their ghosts, was she? No, there were others, and you killed them. Those kids going to prom, that missing Grand Canyon group." "Mmmhmmm.." Hazel hummed in response, running her fingers through Kent's hair. It made sense now. Kent was the one who hadn't intended for murder. And Hazel was a homicidal maniac. She stood, pulling Kent up with her, and began to walk out of the locker room, trailing more gas behind her. Once they reached the door, she glanced over her shoulder.

"I really am disappointed in you, (Y/N). I thought we were such great friends."

"Go jump off a cliff and die."

She laughed slightly and left, slamming the door. This was bad. You couldn't see outside. She was going to set this place on fire all over again, and you wouldn't even know until the flames hit you.


	55. I want them dead!

You looked around frantically, struggling. You were tied with rope, but the chair wasn't heavy, nor was it held down.

Hazel may think she's so smart, but she wasn't.

Biting your lip you continued to struggle until the chair fell over. you cringed, wrinkling your nose when you landed face first in a puddle of gasoline. It reeked. Taking a deep breath you continued onward. That was the hard part. Now you just began to roll over to the door, stopping once you reached it and began using your feet as best you could to push it open. Once you managed this, you realized you had severely underestimated Hazel.

She stood there, one hand holding Kent's while another held up a single, lit match. She had an insane smile on her face. "You crazy, crazy bitch." Her smile grew and she mimicked the words she had said to you back in the other timeline. "I admired you. How strong you are, I mean. Even after what happened, you never snapped at us or stopped being...I guess I wouldn't say happy, but...you know? But...it's funny, finally getting to see you snapped."

With that she flicked the match to the ground and turned to walk away with Kent, not even watching as it lit the gasoline trailed, the hot flames heading right for **you**. You needed to get away from it, but with you still being tied to the chair there was no way you were going to do it in time. You struggled, thousands of thoughts running through your head. If you died they would get away with it. Hazel and Kent would just walk away scott free. Your grandparents would be heart broken. Your whole family would, mom, dad, Frisk. Oh god, Sans and Papyrus... The flames reached you as you managed to roll over just a little. The back of the chair caught fire, but the flames still licked at your hair and flesh, burning you. You let out a pained cry, squeezing your eyes shut-

And then the heat was gone.

"It's okay. You're okay.."

Grillby?

You opened your eyes and there was the monster in all his beautiful fire glory. Behind him was Gaster, who had taken a more solid form, you could see now where the brothers got their looks. Even Undyne, who was cracking her knuckles. "HEY, TRASH!" You glanced back to see Hazel and Kent pause, glancing behind their shoulders. Theirs eyes widened when they say the monsters. "ME AND THIS PUNK MAY NOT BE ON GREAT TERMS, BUT SHE'S _OUR_ PUNK, DAMMIT!" As she spoke, Grillby was rolling up his sleeves, drawing the fire Hazel had started to himself for power. "This is the last life you will ever attempt to take." Hazel let go of Kent's hand, starting to run, but bones shot up through the ground, sending dirt and grass into the air. They boxed the two teenagers in and you felt someone lift the chair and set it down on it's legs, untying you. It was Gaster, his eye glowing a bright, flickering purple. He checked you for wounds and saw the back of your head. The glow from his eye turned into a small flame as the old skeleton growled, physically _growled_ , pushing you behind him protectively. "(Y/N), stay behind me. We will handle these pathetic children." As he spoke Kent was doing his damnest to knock the bones down. You nodded, but..whispering that you could just barely hear caught your attention. It was loud enough for you to notice, but faint enough for you to question whether you had really heard anything at all. Turning your head you saw them leaving the locker room, which was already being engulfed in flames. The shadows.

Your friends.

Short chapter, but I promise the next one will be pretty long.

I'm also pretty sure the next chapter will also be the LAST chapter of this fic, and I'm stupidly excited. I have never finished a story before, so this is a HUGE step for me. Thank you all so much for giving me strength to do this, and I'm so happy.


	56. The end

"Child, we are going to make a black hole."

You couldn't help but snicker as Gaster spoke, a dark grin twisted onto his skull as he lifted a hand, preparing to attack Hazel and Kent. However, before anything could be done, the air filled with screams. Angry, vengeful screams. The shadows of your dearly departed friends rose up, and then lunged, swooping over the couple. They screamed, swatting at the ghosts, seemingly unaware of what, or who, they were. You slowly stepped out from behind Gaster, no longer afraid. The shadows reached their arms out, which furled and twisted, like the smoke rising from the burning locker rooms, and tried to grip their killer's clothes, but Hazel and Kent squirmed and screamed, managing to escape their grasp.

"W-Wait, please!"

Kent pointed to Hazel, his eyes darting between you and the shadows. His voice shook as he spoke. "It was her! It was always her! I never wanted to kill anyone!" Yet his actions before the reset said otherwise. Kent staggered back as the shadows drew closer. "It was just...it was supposed to be a prank! She's crazy! She's fucking crazy!" "How DARE you!" Hazel grabbed his arm, digging her nails into his skin. "I'm your girlfriend! You don't get to talk that way about me!" "You are NOT my girlfriend!" Kent jerked away and actually slapped her across the face. You clapped your hands over your mouth, a soft 'ooooh' escaping you. Gaster laughed himself. "How quickly they turn on one another when trapped.." Hazel angrilly shoved Kent towards the shadows and they wrapped around him, dragging him, screaming, into the burning locker room. Hazel then turned to run but froze, her eyes growing to the size of saucers. Slowly, shambling his way across the football field, was Justin, his head lulling from side to side with each dragging step he took. The gash on his neck was in full view, dried blood staining the front of his shirt. He was alreasy showing the first stage of decomposition, his skin appearing waxy, his eyes clouded. Hazel turned, running towards you, tears streaking down her face. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! (Y/N), don't let them get me!" She managed to reach you, but was suddenly pushed back by Sans, who had suddenly appeared, flickering into existence. His eye glowed a faint blue, and his human form was fading. Hazel tried to get around him, pleading to you. "We're friends! (Y/N) tell him we're friends!" But if you had even wanted to speak, you wouldn't have gotten the chance. Sans growled, a low, gutteral sound, his never ending smile nearly a sneer as he pushed her hard into Justin, using his other arm to pull you tightly to his chest. Justin stumbled slightly, but wrapped his arms around Hazel as she screamed and sobbed.

Somehow, Justin was much stronger in death than he had ever been in life, and he dragged Hazel to the locker room, the monsters stepping aside for him. He only paused when he reached the doorway to look back at you, expectingly. You knew what he was waiting for.

"I forgive you, Justin."

He then smiled slowly, a smile you would miss seeing daily at school, and turned, walking into the locker room as it burned to the ground. The roar of the fire drowned out Hazel's screams.

Sans pressed his teeth to your forehead. "It's a good thing those idiots were predictable. If they hadn't taken you here...let's go home. I can hear sirens coming." You took one last look at the burning locker room. Hazel and Kent are dead. Your friends had gotten their revenge. They could finally find peace. You npdded, holding Sans' hands and brushing your lips across his teeth. He hummed happily and led you through one of his shortcuts. It was time to go home. It was the end.

 **For everyone.**

In another timeline, Geno stood atop mount Ebott, watching with Sans, Frisk and Papyrus as the sun began to rise. He couldn't believe it. He was free, and everyone was alive. Tears stung his eyes and he wiped them away, smiling a real, sincere smile. "I still can't believe it...this is all real." "I know." Sans gave him a smile of his own. "But is it. It's real, and Frisk is never going to reset again." The child hummed in agreement, resting on Papyrus's head, and turned to look as laughter floated to earshot. Geno edged forward and looked down the hill, spotting a group of teenage humans. The picnic basket in their hands made their plans on the mountain obvious. His eyes widened slightly when he recognized one of the humans, singing and laughing as she walked.

"Hello daddy, hello mom! I'm your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb!"

-— -— -— -— -— -— -— -— -— -— -—

I can't believe this is actually finished.

originally, i was scared to share my fics. People can be so mean online, but you all have been incredibly kind, and funny, and supportive. Thank you so much. This couldn't have been done without you.


End file.
